cooking diaries

Cookie Swap Favorites

2011-12-15T10:02:00.002-06:00

My friend hosted a cookie swap party this past weekend. What a success it was. Guests were to bring 9 prepackaged bags of cookies,candies,etc. Placecards were put next to each platter/basket to identify who's kitchen it came from as well as the cookie. I wish I had taken pictures. The different creative packages made the table look so gorgeous and festive. I made my go-to gingerbread cookies and packaged them in white cd envelopes...a great circular cellaphane window to view the cookies through (from a Martha Stewart issue). Here are two of my favorite cookies I took home from the party that I thought were both delicious and pleasing to the eye. I couldn't wait to get the recipe and share it with you guys. xoxo

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Courtesy of Giada

Ingredients

Cookies:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.

*Place each cookie in a cupcake liner before packaging.

Vanilla Meringues

Ingredients:

3 large egg whites (3 ounces or 90 grams)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup (150 grams) superfine or caster sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30-60 seconds in a food processor)

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Meringue Cookies: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can form the cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip, or I often just use two spoons to make the cookies.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat, on medium-high speed, until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.

Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) tip. Pipe 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) rounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, spoon mounds of meringue, using two spoons, onto the prepared sheets. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a few shaved almonds, if desired.

Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. (The meringues will release easily from the parchment paper.) Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying several hours or overnight. The meringues can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days.

Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) meringues

Savory Waffles

2011-11-08T13:54:00.002-06:00

Jer emailed us this NY Times article: "What Chefs Feeds their Kids" and it had this great recipe I had to try...the SAVORY waffle. I bought this Arrowhead Mills Multigrain Pancake and Waffle Mix at Whole Foods. I couldn't stop snacking on the finished product while I was cooking off the rest. I topped the waffle with a sunny side up egg for the kids. I will definitely try bits of bacon in the next recipe or ham or leftover chopped veggies. So good! I froze the rest and will toast them up and make a waffle ham and cheese sandwich for the kids tomorrow. Have fun with this recipe.

2 cups waffle and pancake mix
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup grated rennet-free Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated rennet-free Gruyère or similar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place a waiting plate to warm inside. Heat a waffle maker until a flick of water beads and bounces around.

2. In a bowl, add waffle mix, eggs, milk, oil, salt and pepper, and mix until just combined, adding more milk if the mixture is too thick. It should be the consistency of pudding. Then fold in the cheeses.

3. Lightly butter the waffle maker, and spoon judicious dollops of the mixture onto the center of the hot waffle iron and spread just a bit. The mixture will spread when the lid closes and expand as it cooks, so adding too much will be a bit messy as it bubbles out the sides.

4. As the waffles finish, use a fork to lift them off and put them in the oven to stay warm while the rest are made. Waffles are best served warm. Freeze any leftover waffles to enjoy later.

Yield: 4 servings.

Crack Pie = Yum Yum and More Yum

2011-10-29T10:35:00.004-05:00

Thanks Julie for introducing all of us to Momofuku's Milk Bar pies and cookies. The Crack Pie was by far my favorite. So I found the recipe for all of you to try

From LA Times website:

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling and chilling times

Servings: Makes 2 pies (6 to 8 servings each)

Note: Adapted from Momofuku. This pie calls for 2 (10-inch) pie tins. You can substitute 9-inch pie tins, but note that the pies will require additional baking time, about 5 minutes, due to the increased thickness of the filling.

Cookie for crust

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar

3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar

1 egg

Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.

5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.

6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust

Crumbled cookie for crust

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar

3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons (7 ounces) light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (3/4 ounce) milk powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

2 prepared crusts

Powdered sugar, garnish

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.

3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.

4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.

5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown (similar to a pecan pie), about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.

6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Each of 16 servings: 432 calories; 4 grams protein; 45 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 27 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 187 mg. cholesterol; 36 grams sugar; 125 mg. sodium.

Chive Goat Cheese on Pepper Puree

2011-10-28T11:08:00.004-05:00

I helped organized a Wine Tasting event for the elementary school. So one of the things I served was the Pepper puree we all made.

I made Bittman's Roasted Pepper Puree recipe. I was first going to turn it into a pesto with basil and parmesan but realized my basil is very chilly and sad in the garden here in Chicago. I had a log of goat cheese calling my name. I wasn't sure how to serve it with my pepper puree. At the last minute, I decided to roll my goat cheese into 1/2 in balls. Grabbed some of my chives from the garden, finely chopped them and stored the chives in a tupperware. Tossed the goat cheese in the chives. Closed the lid and gently rolled them around. Transported them to the event. Created some streaks of roasted pepper puree on the platter. Placed the goat cheese on top of the streaks with slices of baguette on the side. Stabbed a couple toothpicks in the balls. Great colorful addition to the holiday nibbles we will soon be preparing. Here are my other staples that I served and also always have around when my girls are over:

Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts

Olives stuffed with Anchovies (or stuffed with Garlic is yummy)

Hard Salami slices paired with sliced cucumbers

Grapes, Cheese and Crackers

Chopped up chunks of Dark Chocolate

"Mexican-Inspired" Desserts

2011-06-25T21:10:00.005-05:00

The Auction dinner was a success. I wish I had taken pictures. The creme brulee did not set like I wanted. But supposedly there is an enzyme in passion fruit that prevents it from completely setting. So, it had a more creamy texture vs gelatinous consistency. I would still make it again without a doubt! Whole Foods actually carried the passion fruits. Anyway, this ended up being my dessert menu:

Watermelon Lime Gazpacho with mangoes, kiwi, and mint

Key Lime Cheesecakes

Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Warm Chocolate Chipotle Cakes with a sweet tomatillo sauce

Passionfruit and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

Here were the recipes if you want to try one in the future:

Watermelon Lime Gazpacho

8 c seedless watermelon

Leaves from a few sprigs of mint
2 large limes, juice and zest
1/2 cup sugar

Pureed all in blender. Put in pyrex and mixed every 45 min for a couple hrs to create slushy consistency.

3 mangoes, diced

6 kiwis, diced

Scooped into little clear plastic rectangular shooters that you can pick up at the party store.

Key Lime cheesecake

For filling
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup fresh key lime juice (strained from about 1 1/2 lb Key limes) or bottled (Nellie and Joe’s is wonderful, as is Manhattan brand, if you can find it)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

Baked a gingersnap crust with this. Froze and sliced very thin rectangular bars to make bite size by dipping knife into hot water with every slice. Sprinkled lime zest after plated.

Dulce de leche cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened
Rolled out between 2 silpats and froze dough. Cut with small biscuit cutter. Once cooled I stored them in an airtight container. The day of the party, I piped dulce de leche on cookies to ensure a crispy sandy texture. Dusted cookies with powdered sugar before serving. Next time, I'd like to try and rop the sides in toasted coconut. Or dip half of cookie in chocolate.

Passion Fruit Creme Brulee

6 passion fruits (about 9 fl oz/250 ml pulp)

7 large egg yolks

3 oz superfine sugar

16 oz heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean

Begin by cutting the passion fruit in half and, using a teaspoon, scoop the fruit and seeds out into a large, deep mixing bowl. Then add the egg yolks and 3 oz (75 g) of the sugar to the bowl and, using an electric hand whisk on a high speed, whiz all the ingredients together for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is frothy and pale in colour. Meanwhile, heat the cream and milk in a saucepan over a medium heat, whisking now and then, until hot but do not boil. Now, with the whisk on a slow speed, add the hot cream into the mixture, keeping the whisk running as you do so. Then strain the custard through a sieve into a large jug, discarding the passion fruit seeds. Next, you need to put the ramekins into the roasting tin and fill them with the mixture. Now fill the tin with boiling water from the kettle to about halfway up the sides of the ramekins and place it on the centre shelf of the oven. Let the puddings cookgently for 40 minutes. They are ready when the custard is set but still wobbles when you move them gently. At this point, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool, then cover them with clingfilm and chill them in the fridge for about 2 hours or, preferably, overnight. After that, sprinkle each ramekin evenly with some of the remaining 2 oz (50 g) of sugar, dividing it equally. Then very lightly spray the surface with water, using the spray bottle. (This helps melt the sugar, speeding up the caramelising process.) Now use the blowtorch to melt and caramelise the sugar. To do this, hold it over each ramekin, aiming the tip of the flame at the sugar – it will immediately begin to bubble and melt, and soon turn to a golden caramel. As soon as the sugar has reached a dark brown colour, move on to the next one and continue until they’ve all got a lovely glazed brown surface. It will take about 40 minutes in all. After that, allow to cool before serving. - from delia smith's website

Warm Chocolate Chipotle Cakes with Sweet Tomatillo Sauce

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for greasing ramekins
1 cup sugar plus additional for dusting
6 medium dried chipotle chiles* (1 ounce)
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
10 oz Valrhona semisweet chocolate (56%) or fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large eggs
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter ramekins and dust with sugar, knocking out excess.

Toast chiles in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard stems, seeds, and ribs, then soak chiles in hot water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Purée chiles in a mini food processor or a blender, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons soaking liquid as needed to form a paste. Force paste through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Set aside 1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste and freeze remainder for another use.

Bring juice and 1 cup sugar to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour hot syrup over chocolate in a large bowl, stirring until chocolate is melted. Add butter and stir until melted.

Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking after each addition, then stir in chile paste, flour, and salt.Scoop into mini silicone cupcake liners. Freeze. Bake for about 20 min. Cool 2 min. Flip cakes out of silicone liners and serve warm. Perfect bite size cakes. Served the tomatillo sauce on side.

Sweet Tomatillo Sauce

1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1/2 pound small fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
1/4 pound piloncillo* (unrefined brown sugar; sometimes called panela*), coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (1-inch) piece cinnamon stick

Makes about 1 cup. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan with tip of a paring knife, then add pod and remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatillos are very tender, about 15 minutes.

Discard cinnamon stick and vanilla pod, then purée tomatillo mixture in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Cool completely, then chill, covered, until cold. - From epicurious. The sauce was not my cup of tea but people really liked it.

Easter Brunch Ideas

2011-04-19T17:17:00.002-05:00

Any of you guys have some yummy, kid friendly Easter brunch recipes or ideas? We have volunteered to host something for some neighbors at our house and my creative seems low and all I can think of is the Cooks Illustrated Strata that I always make. Thanks!

At the Seder Table

2011-04-16T22:13:00.005-05:00

This is a picture of our seder plate that was given to us by Mike's Grandma Edith. Last night, we had a very special Passover Seder celebration at home this year. We have traveled the past couple years as guests of family seders. Mike's family presents a Broadway sing-songy seder that is hard to beat. However, this year we stayed at home and hosted our own seder. Our theme of the preschool/haggadah cliff notes version of seder was the Ten Plagues with props and all. Mike did an amazing job keeping the kids entertained the whole time. Looking for the Afikomen (hidden matzo) is always a great breaking point to clear off the table before dessert. The kids had the best time. Mia even said before bed "I wish we could have Seder every night."

This is what I served last night and I wanted to share a couple recipe that I really love. It's my favorite Jewish holiday. I love all the foods that surround this holiday. So, it was a total treat to be able to cook all these dishes and host this year.

The ritual plate consisted of the following:

Celery

Parsley

Horseradish

Charoset

Roasted chicken wing

Hard boiled egg (Beitzah)

Small bowl of saltwater

Matzo Ball Soup

Chopped Liver with Caramelized onions

Gefilte Fish with Horseradish

Potato Latkes with Apple sauce

Brisket

Roasted Chicken

Chocolate Toffee Matzo

Almond Macaroons

Manichewitz Fruit Slices

CHAROSET FOR PASSOVER

Original Recipe Yield 3 cups

6 apples - peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon white sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/3 cup sweet red wine

Directions

Place the apples into a large bowl. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over the apples. Stir in the honey and sweet wine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving.

Ellyn Goodrich's Alaskan Halibut and Salmon Gefilte Fish Terrine

Yield: Makes 20 servings

1 tablespoon pareve margarine
2 pounds halibut fillets, skinned and boned
1 pound salmon fillets, skinned and boned
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium Spanish onions, diced
4 large eggs
2 cups cold water
6 tablespoons matzoh meal
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons snipped dill, plus more for garnish

2 large carrots, peeled
parsley, for garnish
prepared red horseradish for serving

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan with the margarine.

Cut the fish into large chunks, and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 20 times, do not puree, but grind fine. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and sauté the onions over medium-low heat until soft and transparent. Let cool.

To the fish mixture, add the onions, eggs, 2 cups of cold water, matzoh meal, salt, white pepper, sugar and lemon juice. Beat in the electric mixer at medium speed, using a paddle attachment, for about 10 minutes. Add the dill, and grate in the carrots; mix well.

Pour the mixture into the greased bundt pan. Smooth the top with a spatula, and cover with foil. Place a large pan filled with water which is almost boiling and comes at least halfway up the sides of the bundt pan.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until the center is solid. Cool for 5 minutes, or until mold is cool to the touch. Run a knife around the edges. Place a flat serving plate on top, and then flip over, inverting the mold onto the plate. If the mold does not come out easily, give the plate a shake. You should feel or hear it give.

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Slice as you would a torte, and serve as an appetizer. Garnish with the parsley and remaining dill, and serve with red horseradish.

CARAMEL MATZO CRUNCH

4-6 unsalted matzohs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large (or two smaller) cookie sheet completely with foil. Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking parchment — on top of the foil. This is very important since the mixture becomes sticky during baking.

Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with the matzohs, cutting extra pieces, as required, to fit any spaces.

In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter or margarine and the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325°, and replace the pan).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the chopped chocolate or chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate over the matzoh. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill, still in the pan, in the freezer until set.

This makes a good gift.

Variation:

You can also use coarsely chopped white chocolate (or a combination of white and dark), and chopped or slivered toasted almonds (sprinkled on top as the chocolate sets). You can also omit the chocolate for a caramel-alone buttercrunch.

Roasted Whole Red Snapper

2011-04-14T19:47:00.003-05:00

I picked up a fresh whole red snapper at Costco this afternoon from those fresh seafood displays. This was a great and easy recipe. I had chives in my garden and diced up some cloves of garlic with sesame oil, salt and oil. We all loved it...including the kids.

ASIAN INGREDIENTS

One whole 3-pound red snapper, cleaned and scaled

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 scallions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for rubbing

MEDITERRANEAN INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for rubbing

CARIBBEAN INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for rubbing

DIRECTIONS

Pick your favorite flavor combination (Asian, Mediterranean or Caribbean, at left).

PREPARE THE FISH: Choose one of the flavor combinations and chop all of the ingredients except the oil together with a large pinch of salt. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and stir in the oil. Make 5 parallel 3-inch-long slashes on each side of the snapper, slicing almost through to the bone. Lightly season the fish with salt and fill the slashes with the paste. Rub the fish all over with canola oil.

COOK THE FISH: Preheat the oven to 425°. Transfer the fish to a heavy rimmed baking sheet so it stands upright. To keep the fish stable, splay the belly flaps and set a crumpled foil ball under the tail. Roast the fish for 30 minutes, until the flesh just flakes. Transfer the fish to a platter. Using 2 forks, lift the fillets off the bones and serve.

Elaine: Braised Squid with Artichokes

2011-03-12T15:27:00.003-06:00

Squid and more squid! So I decided to do squid 2 ways last night. 1 # this way and 1 # that way. Bittman's way and one of my go-to restaurants Union's way. I'd forgotten how much liquid comes out of these squiddOs. I used some anchovy paste in a tube I had in my frig. You MUST add acid to these squid. Did not add extra sauce to my finished dishes. It was too fishy for my taste (probably the anchovy). I really enjoyed the whole dish when I squeezed fresh lemon juice on top!. The artichokes were delicious. I will prepare artichokes this way more often.

The other squid dish I prepared was with a marinara sauce and white wine. . Again I removed the squid from the sauce because it was still too fishy for me and added fresh marinara sauce, grated some garlic in at the end for some spice and red pepper flakes.

I keep on forgetting that you really do need to add a little something to most of these MINIMALIST recipes. Looking forward to the next recipe.

Catch up post + a treat

2011-03-09T22:59:00.008-06:00

It has been a while between posts, but I've been cooking! Time to catch up:

Pear & Gorgonzola Salad:

It was almost funny for me to see a recipe for this pear and gorgonzola salad which is so ubiquitous these days. But then I thought about when it was published, 14 years ago, and how it was probably pretty modern at that point. I make some combination of this salad for so many occassions, and often throw in some sort of glazed or spicy nut for a little crunch. This time I did it with some great arugula I picked up at the farmers market, and as usual it was yummy

Chicken Under a Brick

I actually really liked this technique for cooking the chicken, it was the first time I had tried it this way, and found it much easier than I had expected. I had the butcher butterfly the chicken for me so that was super easy. I doubled the rub as I like a lot of flavor on/under my chicken and salted it first, which I think helped (but I'm also a salt fiend!) Chris loved the skin, while the meat came out moist and not over cooked. I was worried it was going to stick to the pan but shockingly it didn't. I'm not sure if I can say I prefer this over the Zuni roasting method but it was a nice change of pace

I might skip the spaghetti with fried eggs recipe-- I'm a big fan of carbonara type preparations, I'm just trying to eat healthy these days (trying to lose this nursing weight!) and there is no way of pretending that one is even close! Besides, I'm eager to get to the braised squid preparation!

Treat

For the treat, I thought I would share the valentines treats I made for Elisha's preschool class. I got the idea and recipes for the black and white brownies from Smitten Kitchen. I love her writing, ideas and recipes! Elisha loved helping with the cutting out of the hearts. They came out a bit dry so they cracked a bit, but were tasty and still very cute.

I got the template for the toppers from another blog, LivingLocurto.com, and then customized it a bit. You print them on cardstock and then staple them on the top of ziploc bags, and they look really snazzy and professional. I will definitely use this type of idea for lots of other applications, including goody bags for Mr. Joshua's one year birthday party, which is approaching far too rapidly!
T

Kaoru: Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

2011-02-20T22:52:00.004-06:00

Elaine is right -- you definitely want to embellish some of Bittman's dishes. For this one, a nice pat of butter, leftover bacon, pork jus (from pork shoulder I braised last week), frozen peas, Parmesan and the eggs did just the trick. And with a few generous grinds of black pepper at the table, we had ourselves a nice carbonara-esque dinner tonight. It was really rich, but tasty. Dessert was a half scoop of Haagen Dazs (Five) lemon ice cream, which cleansed the palate.

Elaine: Pear, Gorgonzola and Mesclun Salad

2011-02-20T15:02:00.004-06:00

Bosc pears were perfectly ripe. Tossed them in the lemon juice to keep them from discoloring. Poured 1 part evoo and 1 part balsamic into a jar...I like my vinaigrettes extra acidic . Added a dollop of dijon and a pinch of salt. Closed the lid and shake, shake, shake. I had some candied pecans in my pantry. Threw them in there. Dressed my salad and crumbled the gorgonzola on top. A perfect salad. It was my lucky day to have those pears perfectly ripe and ready for Bittman's salad.

Baking with Navels

2011-02-18T14:50:00.003-06:00

What's one to do with Navel Oranges that aren't the tastiest to consume sliced?

Oatmeal Orange Currant scones and some Orange cranberry icebox cookie. I wanted to share these recipes with you because they are both crowd pleasers.

I whipped these scones up quickly in my Cuisinart this morning.

Oatmeal Orange Currant scones (courtesy of epicurious)

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar plus additional for sprinkling

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

Finely grated zest from 1 large navel orange

2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk plus additional for brushing

1/2 cup dried currants

Orange glaze (courtesy of ina garten)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

4 t. freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt into a food processor, then add oats and pulse 15 times. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with small (pea-size) lumps, then transfer to a bowl. Stir together zest and buttermilk. Toss currants with oat mixture, then add buttermilk, stirring with a fork just until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 6 times. Pat dough into two 1-inch-thick round, dusting surface with more flour if necessary. Slice 6 wedges per round. Brush tops of scones with buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Or drizzle with an orange glaze. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes, and transfer to a rack.

I also made Orange Cranberry icebox cookies that are great for an afternoon tea gathering. My friend brought these over over the holidays and they are very easy to make into logs and just slice up and bake before guests come. A great butter cookie base with a citrus-y twist and beautifully red chewy treats. I added more cranberries than the recipe called for because I wanted more bites of the chewies.

1 C unsalted butter at room temp
1 C confectioners sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 t salt
2 C flour
Grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 C dried cranberries

1. With electric mixer, beat first 4 ingredients. Add flour on low speed.
2. Stir in orange and cranberrries.
3. Divide dough in half and place each piece on floured waxed paper. Roll each into 1 1/2 inch in diameter log. Wrap logs in waxed paper and refrigerate 1-1 1/2 hrs.
4. Preheat oven to 350.With serrated knife cut dough 3/8 inch thick and place on ungreased cookie sheet for 15-20 mins.

Elaine: Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

2011-02-18T14:05:00.002-06:00

Talk about a quick meal. After swim lessons, the kids are starving for dinner. So I had leftover pasta in the frig, sauteed garlic in oil, fried up some runny eggs which the kids loved and sprinkled tons of parm on top. It was however really missing some crispy crunchy swine! And I probably would add some frozen peas into that dish as well. But it saved me this past Tuesday. I'm realizing that Bittman's "Minimalist" column was named that for a reason?! Definitely have to embellish a little on his recipes. Will try the runny egg on top of steamed rice next time with toasted sesame seeds, a little soy drizzled on it and some crumbled nori for my next emergency, after swim meal.

Ashley: Chicken under a brick

2011-02-15T16:17:00.003-06:00

I chose a half chicken because a) butchering was sort of done and it would be quicker for me and b) Steve was traveling and I didn't need a ton of leftovers hanging around. I picked up a "pasture fed" half bird at the farmers market last week and it was very good. I'm not sure that I find that the "under the brick" lends itself to much more taste than a roast chicken. It may crispin the skin a little, but I don't generally eat that. Nonetheless, the family enjoyed. I'm just proud that I'm keeping up!

Kaoru: Chicken Under a Brick

2011-02-10T17:36:00.006-06:00

I got a bit of help from my husband on this chicken. And I’m truly grateful because there was some chopping off of feet involved (our pan was too small), chicken juice everywhere, a lot of heavy lifting, not to mention the smoke detector that went off in the middle of cooking. Oh, and bless his heart, he cleaned everything up after dinner too.

The chicken was good – amazing chicken texture, perfectly crispy skin, visually arresting and incredibly juicy. We enjoyed it. But there was something missing, je ne sai quoi. Depth of flavor? Complexity? Should I have marinated it longer than 45 minutes or salted more liberally?

Since I purchased a 4 lb chicken, we had tons of leftovers. The following day, I reheated some chicken and drizzled some soy sauce on top (did the trick) and ate it with rice. Yummy!

Elaine : Chicken Under a Brick

2011-02-09T10:30:00.000-06:00

Cooks Illustrated uses this method for Butterflied Chicken on the grill, which we do a lot where we brush BBQ sauce on at the end. I use my cast iron as the weight. I roasted it on a sheet pan with thyme instead of rosemary. My legs needed 15 min more time than the recipe called for. I paired the delicious chicken with roasted broccoli and roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic that I tossed in israeli couscous.

Ashley: Red Pepper Puree

2011-02-06T23:01:00.003-06:00

Well I don't make nearly as much pasta as I used to, but it's still a big hit for my husband and the kiddos. So, I found myself with the beautiful red pepper puree in need of a quick weeknight dinner to suit everyone. I just prepared the pasta and sauteed the chicken with some garlic and the asparagus and tossed everything with the red pepper puree and some pasta water. It was a hit with the family! I've also been spreading on sandwiches at lunchtime and it goes a long way to spruce up the normal drab turkey sandwich. We ventured to Santa Monica and had breakfast at the Huckleberry Cafe this past weekend. I had "Green eggs and ham" and I've thought that the puree would make a great "red eggs and ham" : english muffin, red pepper puree (instead of pesto), prosciutto, fried egg and arugula tossed with a light dressing.

Julie: Red Pepper Puree

2011-02-06T22:51:00.004-06:00

Yum! So easy and definitely going into the arsenal. I made it last night, letting the bells roast while I was doing other things in the kitchen, and it was about a half hour in that the lovely aromas started to fill the house. After 45 mins they were looking charred but as I expected. I sealed them up in the foil and it was only after I opened up that little package that I was surprised to see them totally collapsed. But so flavorful. And the juices were wonderful-- smoky and sweet/savory all at the same time. The spread came out SO much more complex then I had envisioned. No idea why, but I'm not complaining!

This morning I served up the puree with some chopped avocado to Joshua-- you can see he enjoyed it! He gobbled up the bowl so quickly I had barely enough time to get him another bowlful!

Tonight I served them for the superbowl, atop crostini with some goat cheese (I popped the crostini under the broiler for a couple mins to get everything bubbly). Rave reviews all around. I bet this would be delish on a white fish like halibut. Or on a sammy. In an omelette? Yumm, so many possibilities.

Looking forward to trying the next one!

Jer: Red Pepper Puree

2011-02-05T00:08:00.005-06:00

Since everyone has had such wonderful experiences with the recipe thus far, I decided to see what types of results I'd get if I used some roasted peppers purchased from the deli case of my favorite local Italian deli.

I used the nicest olive oil I had in the pantry and some wonderful French sea salt. Voila! Results were absolutely delicious and because I didn't grill the peppers myself the whole thing took maybe 5 minutes (including cleaning of the bowl)!

I sent Jack to daycare the next day with two servings of the puree. When I came at lunch time one of the wonderful teachers in the room said she wished she had some pita chips to eat some of it while she was feeding Jack. The next day I sent Jack to school with it mixed with some avocado. Holy smokes, he ate it in a flash.

For dinner we enjoyed the puree with some roasted cauliflower. Not only delicious but beautiful contrast against the white cauliflower (spooned the puree on the bottom of the plate and served the cauliflower on top of it).

Kaoru: Red Pepper Puree

2011-01-31T23:35:00.007-06:00

This puree is really lovely, subtle and sweet. It's also pretty and totally easy to make. I prepared it this evening after dinner, and can't wait to enjoy it tomorrow after I buy/make something on which to drizzle it.

Looking forward to cooking through Bittman's list!

Bittman's 25: Red Pepper Puree

2011-01-31T14:45:00.004-06:00

Very excited to start on our routine assignments from Mark Bittman's 25 favorites from his NYT Minimalist column. Red Pepper Puree is so beautifully simple. I thought parmesan was needed for more flavor. But when I cleaned off the cuisinart with my finger for a taste, it really didn't need anything. I spread some on some crusty bread and crumbled some goat cheese on top. Yummy snack! Looking forward to cooking "Chicken Under a Brick" with you all. I added a link to Bittman's 25 on the right side for future clicks. Happy Cooking!

Spinach Ricotta Quiche

2011-01-25T23:37:00.004-06:00

A quick and easy breakfast/lunch/dinner for friends and family to enjoy. Made it for a friend for lunch. Fed it to my kids for dinner. Packed it up for school lunches tomorrow.

1 (8 oz.) container Ricotta cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 shallot, diced and sauteed with a dab of butter and dash of white wine

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
6 tbsp. milk
1 box frozen chopped spinach, cooked & well drained
Salt & pepper to taste
1 pie crust, bought from trader joe's frozen section

Beat eggs into Ricotta cheese. Saute shallots in butter. Add spinach and wine. Cool. Add Parmesan cheese, milk and spinach mixture. If using frozen pie crust, blindbake. Mix ingredients well and pour into blindbaked pie crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes; then 350 degrees for about 30-45 minutes. When knife inserted in center comes out clean, it's done.

Options: Dot with butter and sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top before baking. Garnish with sliced tomato and sprinkle a little basil.

Hammy Cheezy Scones

2010-10-06T15:37:00.002-05:00

Yum yum yum! My friend brought these over when I got back from the hospital with the little one. I used some butter to substitute some of the cream since I didn't have enough around. I also used chives since I have a ton of that in my garden. I'm sure you can substitue with your favorite cheese as well as your favorite proscuitto or bacon. Great for brunch entertaining. Its the perfect balance of salty and sweet. I sent Sam to school with 2 wedges for lunch. He loves it. Definitely best out of the oven though.

3 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. baking powder

2 t. salt

1 c. med. diced ham

1/2 c. diced cheddar cheese

1/2 c. chopped scallion

2 c. heavy cream

Mix dry ingredients. Toss in ham, cheese and scallions. Make a well and pour in cream. Mix until combined.

Cut parchment into 2 round to cover bottom and top of 8-10 in pan. Put parchment round in bottom. Spread scone mixture evenly into pan. Place another parchment round on top. Freeze for at least 2 hrs.

Preheat at 350. cut dough into 8-10 wedges. Space 2 in apart. Bake 30-40 min until edges are golden brown. Cool for a couple min. Best when warm.

Butter up your Carrot Cake

2010-07-11T20:51:00.004-05:00

Most carrot cake recipes use vegetable oil but I prefer butter in my baked goods. I made it today for a friend's party. Made 2 rectangular cakes and sliced into mini rectangular pieces, piped cream cheese frosting using a quick zigzag design with a star tip, lined each one with those foil cupcake liners and everyone went crazy for them. I'm convinced it was the whole bite size presentation that made it more special than it really was. I do not add the pecans due to kids' potential nut allergies these days.

3 sticks, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Pecan Cream Cheese Icing:
3 8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted pecans(optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans or 2 rectangular pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.
For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.
When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-06-21T14:12:00.002-05:00

I threw myself a birthday bash on Friday evening. It was a lot of fun planning the menu. I had mint in my CSA produce share last week. So along side the wine and beer, I had Mint Lemonade(for the non-drinkers) with a side of Vodka(for the drinkers). Here are some recipes I wanted to share because it was all so easy and delicious. And most of these recipes are ones I repeat over and over.

Bar Nuts (Union Square Cafe recipe)

2 1/4 cups (18-ounces) assorted unsalted nuts, including peeled peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and whole unpeeled almonds

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons Maldon or other sea salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter. Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm. And once you eat these, you will never want to stop.

Shrimp cocktail with the traditional cocktail sauce but I also made this chili lime aioli sauce to dip into as well...

Chile-lime Aioli

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup olive oil

Zest of 1 lime

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1-2 habanero or other hot chile peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced

Bill Granger's Sweet Corn cakes with Avocado Salsa ( I just bought some guacamole for a shortcut but this avocado salsa is delish)

18 oz canned corn, drained (or fresh from 3 corn cobs)

1 small red onion, chopped

2 eggs

3 T cilantro, chopped

4 oz flour

1 t. baking powder

salt and pepper

veggie oil for frying

For Avocado Salsa:

2 avocados, diced

15 g. cilantro

2 T lemon or lime juice

2T scallions, finely chopped

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

1 dash Tabasco sauce, optional

salt and pepper

Preheat to 250

Place 2 c.corn, onion, eggs, cilantro, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in food processor until combined. Add remaining corn and stir to combine. Heat one T oil in non-stick frying pan over med to high heat. Drove 2 T of mixture per corn cake and cook in batches of three, for one minute on each side. Keep warm in oven while making the rest of your corn cakes. Serve with avocado salsa. For salsa, add all ingredients into bowl and stir very gently to combine.

And lastly I wanted to make this duck pate crudite with diced pear and caramelized onion but Whole Foods was all out. So with the caramelized onions already made and waiting at home in the frig for assembly, I found some fig jam and Maytag blue and assembled on bagel chips. It turned out really yummy.

For desserts, I made Magnolia's Banana Pudding in individual cups for my guests. Everyone wanted this recipe and I don't think I posted this on our blog yet so here it is.

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

Serves 12

1 1/2 cups water

2/3 cup vanilla pudding mix

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

3 cups cold heavy cream

1 (12 ounce) box vanilla wafers

4 ripe bananas, sliced

Whisk together the water, pudding mix and sweetened condensed milk until will mixed. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. When pudding is ready, whip the heavy cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well incorporated. In a deep bowl or individual cups, layer the pudding, wafers, bananas. Repeat and end with final layer of pudding. Stick wafers on top before serving.

I also made this S'mores brownies recipe that is always a big hit for those who have to have chocolate in their dessert repertoire. Cut into 2 bite pieces and wrapped each piece with a mini cupcake/candy paper liner to dress it up a little.

From the best of betterbaking.com cookbook

24 bite size servings

Bottom Layer

1 c. crushed graham crackers

3 T. brown sugar

4 T. unsalted butter, melted

Brownie Layer

4 T. unsalted butter

2 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. flour

pinch of salt

Graham Cracker Layer

1 c. chopped graham crackers

4 T. unsalted butter, melted

Topping

2 c. mini marshmallows

1 c. coarsely chopped milk/dark chocolate bars

Preheat 350 degrees. Grease 8 in square pan or 7 x 11 and line with parchment, leaving overhang to lift the brownies out. For bottom layer, combine all ingredients. Press the bottom layer mixture into the prepared pan. Refrigerate for 10 min. For the brownie layer, melt the butter. Stir chocolate into hot butter to melt. Stir in sugar. Let cool to warm and whisk in eggs, vanilla, flour and salt. Spread the mixture over the bottom layer in the pan. For the graham cracker layer, toss the graham crackers with the melted butter and distribute over the batter. Bake for 22-24 min or until set. Preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the top of brownies with marshmallows. Place under broiler for 20-60 secs or until marshmallows start to brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped chocolate bar. If desired, smear the choc. with a knife as it melts. Let cool to room temp. Then refrig for 20-30 min before cutting.

And of course the cubes of watermelon with a squeeze of lime juice on top was the perfect summer thirst quencher. People loved this and ignored the grapes and strawberries on my fruit platter.

Simple Dinners: Chicken Tandoori

2010-06-12T23:56:00.006-05:00

In the spirit of simple dinners, I thought I'd share a new favorite of ours -- chicken tandoori. It takes about 15 minutes to "prepare" (the evening before) and all you have to do is bake it for 30 minutes. Not only is it ridiculously simple to make, but it also can easily be scaled up/down depending on the number of people you're feeding. We eat it with rice or naan (we like Trader Joe's frozen naan) and partially roasted onions.

2-4 # skinless chicken pieces (avoid hassle & ask the butcher to skin the meat!)
Salt & Pepper
Lemon
Garlic, minced
Ginger, grated (optional)
1-1.5 cups of plain yogurt
2-3 Tbs. tandoori masala
2-3 Tbs. olive oil
Other spices to add: garam masala, cumin, coriander, chili powder

1. Make 2-3 diagonal slashes in chicken. Sprinkle S/P and lemon juice all over pieces to tenderize meat. Let sit for 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, in small bowl, combine all the other ingredients.
3. Drain off excess lemon juice and pour yogurt marinade on top of chicken. Marinate overnight in fridge.
4. Next day, bake on oiled baking sheet at 400* for ~30 minutes (flip halfway through). You can broil the last few minutes if desired. Serve with lots of lemon wedges.

Grilled Pork Chops

2010-06-03T22:26:00.002-05:00

My sister sent me home with a couple leftover grilled pork chops the other evening. So I tried to think of a way to re-gift it for my family...Grilled Vietnamese pork chops are my favorite. I thought my kids might like it. So I marinated the leftover chops with the marinade below from epicurious. I doubled the marinade for some extra sauce. Reheated the chops on the grill just until warmed. Put the remaining marinade in a pan and heated up. Poured it over chops and served with jasmine rice. Use this marinade for your raw thinly pounded pork chops before throwing on the grill. Delish!

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Simple Dinners: Lentil Soup

2010-05-04T11:47:00.002-05:00

Continuing in my quest for simple dinners, I saw Ina Garten make this on TV last week and was inspired. It was filling, healthy, and tasty. I think it would be a nice dish to make for a friend who was sick or just had a baby, as it is a one bowl meal! It was easy to make and I loved having it on hand in the fridge for a healthy and quick lunch or dinner throughout the week. For a main course for dinner I might add some bacon or some cold cuts on the side for my husband who believes mains all require a meat protein. Note: The recipe makes a lot so I froze 2/3 of it for later use.

So for those keeping track at home:

#1. Zuni Roast Chicken
#2. Broiled Salmon
#3. Mario's spaghetti carbonara
#4. Pork Tenderloin w/ cherry rosemary port sauce
#5. Lentil vegetable soup

Lentil Vegetable Soup

1 pound French green lentils (I subbed red lentils with great results)
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onions)
4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 quarts chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

Simple Dinners: Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Dried Cherries and Rosemary Port Pan Sauce

2010-05-03T23:21:00.002-05:00

We've always known we wanted to do family dinners, as we both believe they are important for family bonding. Yet we weren't sure when Elisha would be old enough for us to begin the nightly ritual. When she was going to bed at 7pm it was untenable as the bedtime routine had to start by 6pm. Now that she is going down at 8, we started trying to do them as often as we could.

With me home on leave, I decided we are going to make this as close to a nightly ritual as possible. And we've really been enjoying them. But given the newborn in our life, especially one who likes to be held as much as possible, dinners have to be simple to put together and ideally without a lot of active cooking time. So hence begins my hunt for simple, healthy, and tasty family dinners. Nothing too exotic so a toddler can eat it but still interesting enough for Chris and I to enjoy eating it. I'll post the winners and the losers, as maybe you all will have suggestions for improvements on the not so favorites. And if any of you have favorite easy family staples, post away too! My goal is to develop an arsenal of 15-20 staple family dinner recipes to put into rotation. They have to be relatively simple, decently healthy, and not be overly involved or require too many ngredients that require a special trip to the store. The zuni roast chicken, my basic broiled salmon, and Mario's carbonara are my starters.

Last week I tried this pork tenderloin from Cooks Illustrated and it was absolutely delicious and so simple to do. (I subbed cranberries for the cherries and sherry for the port as they were what I had at home, and it turned out great. Next time I'll try it as is.) It deserves its spot as entry #4 and is definitely going into my rotation.

Here is my list so far for anyone interested in keeping track...

#1. Zuni Roast Chicken
#2. Broiled Salmon
#3. Mario's spaghetti carbonara
#4. PORK TENDERLOIN WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND ROSEMARY PORT SAUCE

Sauteed Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Dried Cherries and Rosemary Port Pan Sauce
Serves 3 (saucing one tenderloin). Published September 1, 1997 by cooksillustrated.

Dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots can substitute for the cherries. To promote even cooking, cut your slices to a uniform thickness. If it helps, lay a ruler in front of the loin and slice at the one-inch marks. If you’ve got one, cover the pan with a splatter screen to prevent splattering.

1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), silver skin removed, cut into 1-inch slices, each pounded to 3/4 inch with flat side of chef's knife blade
2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup port
1/2 cup dried sweet cherries
2/3 cup chicken stock or low-salt canned broth
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Instructions
1. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of pork slices. Heat oil until shimmering in heavy-bottomed pan, at least 10 inches across bottom, over medium-high heat, swirling pan to distribute oil. Working in batches of no more than six slices to avoid overcrowding, sear medallions without moving them until brown on one side, about 80 seconds (oil should sizzle, but not smoke). Turn medallions with tongs to avoid scraping off the sear; sear until meat is mostly opaque at sides, firm to the touch, and well browned, about 80 seconds. Transfer pork to plate.

2. Set pan in which pork was cooked over medium-high heat; add port and cherries. Boil, scraping pan bottom with wooden spatula to loosen browned bits, until liquid reduces to about 2 tablespoons, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase heat to high; add stock or broth, rosemary, any accumulated pork juices; boil until liquid reaches consistency of maple syrup, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Reduce heat to medium; return pork to pan, turning meat to coat. Simmer to heat pork through and blend flavors, about 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Transfer pork to serving plate and spoon sauce over meat. Serve immediately.

Bittman's Sesame Noodles

2010-04-16T14:05:00.002-05:00

Now that the weather is warming up over here, I was craving some cold sesame noodles. This is a lighter version of Ina Garten's cold noodle recipe. I used a box of spagetti, 1 cup of shredded chicken, 1/2 of an english cucumber, and some pickled carrots I had leftover from the Bahn Mi sandwiches I made the night before. The tahini seemed to make the dish milder as well. I didn't have ginger on hand. A friend of mine can't handle spicy so I skipped the heat in this recipe. I used a load of chives from my garden. I would definitely substitute the chicken next time for some julienned baked honey sesame tofu that I always get at Whole Foods.

Bittman's Cold Sesame Noodles
Salt
1 to 2 cups shredded cooked chicken or about 8 ounces boneless chicken breast
1 pound cucumber
12 ounces long pasta like linguine, or fresh Chinese egg noodles
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 cup sesame paste (tahini) or peanut butter
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon minced ginger, optional
1 tablespoon rice or wine vinegar
Hot sesame oil or Tabasco sauce to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more
At least 1/2 cup minced scallions for garnish

1. Set a large pot of water to boil and salt it. If your chicken is uncooked, poach it in water as it comes to a boil; it will cook in about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel cucumbers, cut them in half, and, using a spoon, scoop out seeds. Cut cucumber into shreds and set aside.
2. When water comes to a boil, cook pasta until tender but not mushy. (If chicken is not done, you can still add pasta; remove chicken when it is done.) While pasta is cooking, whisk together sesame oil and paste, sugar, soy, ginger, vinegar, hot oil and pepper in a large bowl. Thin sauce with hot water, so that it is about the consistency of heavy cream; you will need 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Stir in cucumber. When pasta is done, drain it and run pasta (and chicken, if necessary) under cold water. Drain. Shred chicken (the easiest way to do this is with your fingers).
3. Toss noodles and chicken with sauce and cucumbers. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (the dish may need salt), then garnish and serve.

Kaoru: Baked Kale Chips

2010-03-29T18:34:00.004-05:00

I was inspired by the delicious kale we had at Bouchon and Ad Hoc and decided to give the baked kale chips a try. The chips turned out light and crispy -- not quite the same the kale we had at Ad Hoc (was that kale deep fried?), but yummy nonetheless.

Weekend in Yountville -- Ad Hoc

2010-03-21T15:11:00.005-05:00

Weekend in Yountville -- French Laundry

2010-03-21T13:20:00.012-05:00

Oysters and Pearls

Foie Gras en Terrine

Sauteed Fillet of Atlantic Black Bass

Pinces de Homard Pochees au Beurre Doux

Cervelle de Veau

Selle D'Agneau Rotie Entiere

Ossau Iraty (cheese)

Steel-cut Oat Sherbet

Savarin Au Citron

Peanut Butter Bavarois

Passion Fruit Tart

Mignardises

Weekend in Yountville -- Etoile

2010-03-21T13:17:00.002-05:00

Weekend in Yountville -- Bouchon & Bistro Jeanty

2010-03-21T13:08:00.004-05:00

Bouchon

Bistro Jeanty

Have a Lucky Day!

2010-03-17T10:21:00.004-05:00

Happy St. Patty's Day! My son's teacher is throwing a St. Patty's Day tea party for her friends this afternoon. So she asked me to bake her up a spread of goodies for today. However, coming back from Yountville at 1:30am and my husband traveling would have been to stressful to squeeze into my schedule. So, I was actually able to say "No". But I was able to squeeze in some cookies for her tea party. Thought I'd share them with you and I'm looking forward to seeing some Yountville eats pictures posted. Thanks for a decadent weekend, ladies.

Chocolate Truffles with Fresh Raspberries

2010-01-30T19:09:00.010-06:00

I wanted to make something special for a friend of mine's shower...something bite-size...something to satisfy a preggo lady's cravings. And I stumbled upon this chocolate truffle with fresh raspberry recipe in Nancy Silverton's Desserts cookbook. If you've never gone through this cookbook, you must take it out of the library. Not sure if it's still in print. My cookbook dealer, Bonnie Slotnick, hunted it down for me a while ago. It is a beautifully simple desserts cookbook with detailed instructions and techniques on how to execute her recipes with perfection. No pictures but her choice of dessert recipes is right up my alley. I did have to use a different truffle base due to this one having alcohol in it and therefore not being very preggo friendly. I combined Ina Garten's and Nancy Silverton's recipes. They came out great. The smaller the truffle, the better. Maury Rubin, City Bakery's Book of Tarts, featured a fresh raspberry with chocolate piped in the hole of each raspberry. I think I will try that one next time with a truffle filling. Anyway, hope you all get to try this once.

20-30 fresh raspberries

7 oz. bittersweet and semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 T. coffee

1/2 t. vanilla

For dipping:

8 oz bittersweet and semisweet chocolate

Unsweetened cocoa powder

Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Pour the cream into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in coffee, and vanilla. Pour into shallow tupperware in a 1" layer. Chill for 20 min. Poke 20-30 indentations 1/2" deep with melon baller. Place a fresh raspberry in each indentation. Dip melon-baller in very hot water before schooping out each truffle. Scoop up 1 raspberry and chocolate surrounding it. Gently form into ball with hands to completely cover the raspberry. Try not to crush the fruit.

As each truffle is formed, place it on a try and refrigerate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dip the truffles in chocolate and roll in cocoa powder. Refrigerate. Freezing will change consistency of fresh raspberries.

Makes 20-30.

Rugelach Julia Style

2009-12-15T14:43:00.004-06:00

If you haven't ever made rugelach or if you haven't found the greatest recipe, you should try Julia Child's recipe. Its a cream cheese pastry. I fill it with chocolate chips. Another crowd pleaser.

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

12 oz cream cheese, room temp

1/2 t salt

1/4 c sugar

3 cups flour

Beat the butter, cream cheese and salt together until smooth in a mixer with paddle attachment. Add sugar and beat until light. Add flour on low speed until dough comes together. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a rough rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4 c. mini choc chips

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1 T cinnamon

Mix these 3 together and set aside

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 1/2 T cinnamon

1 1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Finely chop all ingredients in food processor. Reserve for topping the rugelach.

Eggwash: 1 egg beaten with 1 T cream or milk

Rolling and Filling:

Flour rolling pin. Roll into a 14" by 10" rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough in half lengthwise to make two 14" x 5" rectangles. Spread each half with 1 cup of mini choc chips. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the brown sugar sinnamon mixtures, pressing lightly. Roll up each rectangle sushi fashion. Cover the rolls in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 3 hours.

Slicing and Baking:

Preheat at 375. Brush roll all over with egg wash. Using serrated knife, slice the roll into 1-1.5 " wide. Toss each slice in the cinnamon sugar nut mixture to coat generously. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, cut side down, leaving an inch between each pastry. Bake 25-30 min.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Gobble Gobble!

2009-11-23T19:57:00.007-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I made these little turkeys at the neighborhood holiday cookie decorating session I hosted this past Friday. Hope to see posts of all your feasts this holiday season. Lots of love to you and your families. Hopefully we will see most of you in Napa for our own blogger feast.

Here are three recipes that Kate shared with me from Brussels if you are looking for little hosting nibbles over the holidays.

Almonds

250g raw almonds, shelled but still with thier skins

1 T EV Olive Oil

2 t chopped fresh thyme

2 t sea salt

oven at 200C. All ingredients in a bowl and toss. Transfer to paper lined tray and bake for 5-7 mins. Leave to cool before serving

Marinated Parmesan

250g parmesan

1 garlic clove crushed

2 T finely chopped spring onions

1 t dried chillie flakes

125 ml olive oil

2 t finely chopped oregano

black pepper

Break parmesan into small bite sized pieces. put in a bowl with the garlic, spring onions, chilli and oil and stir well. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving stir through the oregano and season with black pepper. Serve with warm bread.

Olives

2T olive oil 4 large cloves aof garlic, unpeeled and lightly crushed.

2 srigs of rosemary

350g small black olives

4 strips of lemon rind

oven at 200C. put all ingreds in small oven proof dish and toss together. Roast for 15 mions and serve warm.

I also found Lahey's cheese bread recipe. Haven't tried it yet. But its on my to-bake list.

CHEESE BREAD
Start to finish: 15 hours (30 minutes active)
Makes one 10-inch round loaf

3 cups bread flour
21⁄2 cups cubed (1/2-inch cubes) pecorino cheese
1 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
11⁄3 cups cool (55 to 65 degrees) water
Wheat bran, cornmeal or additional flour, for dusting

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cheese, salt, yeast and pepper. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds.

Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece.

Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal or flour.

Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, heat the oven to 475 degrees, with a rack in the lower third. Place a covered 41⁄2- to 51⁄2-quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.

Using pot holders, carefully remove the heated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. Use caution; the pot will be very hot. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color, but not burnt, about 15 to 30 minutes more.

Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to gently lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.

My Bread

2009-11-16T18:25:00.003-06:00

Jim Lahey's new book My Bread just came out and its fantastic. I remember trying his no knead bread recipe way back when the NY Times ran an article on it years ago. I loved it then but hadn't made it in a while. I just bought the book and it inspired me not only to make it again but to play around with different ingredients. I made two this weekend: a cranberry walnut loaf and an olive loaf. Oh my goodness, they were both delicious (perfect crust; soft inside) and as easy as I remember it to be years ago. A friend at work told me to replace a few tbls of water with some beer for better flavor, and she was right (Cook's Illustrated played around with the recipe a while back and came up with the beer idea). If you want to make people in your homes happy this winter I suggest buying the book for inspiration (most of the recipes are variation of the same theme) and start making some of the easiest and wonderful bread you will make at home.

As an aside, the same friend here also told me how to make homemade butter. I did and it was absolutely delicious. Imagine the taste of fresh creme and sea salt in a perfectly spreadable butter. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

Take some fresh whipping cream and mix in your kitchen aid. Add some salt to taste. Let it whip beyond the point of making whipped cream. At some point it will fall and separate into curds of butter and buttermilk. Save the buttermilk for another use (I made buttermilk and herb salad dressing with Pt Reyes blue cheese ... inspiration from the Ad Hoc cook book which is also fabulous). Take the curds of butter and squeeze out the remaining moisture. Put into ramekins and sprinkle with really good sea salt.

Enjoy!

Fennel Spiced Pork Loin

2009-11-14T18:09:00.002-06:00

Cath introduced me to this tasty rub. I strongly recommend you try this rub on anything! I brined my pork loin, put lots of this rub on my tied pork loin to make sure everything cooked evenly. Put it on a baking sheet . Roasted at 500 in the middle rack. After 30-40 min, I moved the pork loin to make sure it didn't stick. Tossed butternut squash and red onion wedges, sprinkled the fennel rub on top of veggies and placed them on the other half of the same baking sheet at the same time I moved my loin. Its a Michael Chiarello recipe:

1 cup fennel seeds

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons white peppercorns

3 tablespoons kosher salt

Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a heavy pan over medium heat. Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly. When light brown and fragrant, pour the seeds onto a plate to cool. They must be cool before grinding, or they will gum up the blades.

Pour the seeds into a blender and add the salt. Blend to a fine powder, shaking the blender occasionally to redistribute the seeds. Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Lasagne

2009-11-04T17:12:00.000-06:00

We had three couples over and all their children on Sunday and I made a batch of lasagna Bolognese and chicken lasagna. It was delicious and we’ve been eating the chicken lasagna leftovers the last two nights. Pete keeps saying this is one of (if not) the best dish I’ve ever made. High praise indeed so I thought I’d share.

For sauce, I sautéed an onion, 2 carrots and 2-3 celery sticks (all diced to a fairly uniform size) in butter and olive oil. Add some tomato paste and some wine and 2 cans of San Marzano tomatoes (if you want add a half stick of butter). Simmer for a few hours and season to taste with salt/pepper.

Separately bake two bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts that have been rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with salt/pepper (the Ina Garten method for her salads). When cool to touch, shred.

When sauce is done, add shredded chicken. For Bolognese, I did a classic recipe (pancetta, ground pork, ground beef, ground veal, carrots, celery, onions, San Marzano tomatoes, a little paste, a little wine, and some whole milk …. Simmer for several hours).

Instead of making my pasta like I normally do, I bought pre-made fresh lasagna from a local Italian restaurant and it was great. I did five or six layers, each layer with the sauce and alternating layers with shredded parmeseano reggiano and sliced fresh mozerella.

I topped both lasagnas off with fresh béchamel seasoned with salt and nutmeg.

For dessert, I made Elaine’s chocolate molten cakes and Julie’s oreo truffles. They were both a huge hit!

We forgot to take pictures :-(

Lactose Free Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-22T13:49:00.002-05:00

I've stocked up on my pumpkin puree. So I will definitely have enough puree to last a couple thanksgivings ;)Mike loves anything pumpkin and this is delicious and it doesn't have butter, cream or milk. So no need to pop that Lactaid. I always have a loaf of this or David Lebovitz's banana cake in my freezer for tea time. Enjoy, Julie.
Spiced Pumpkin Bread - Makes 2 loaves
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.
Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

Great Make-Ahead Dessert!

2009-10-17T23:28:00.002-05:00

Had a great time at a dinner party tonight and wanted to share this recipe from "The Best Make-Ahead Recipe" cookbook by the Cooks Illustrated people. I prepped them in the morning. Put them in my new basement freezer. Took the unbaked cakes out of the freezer, brought them to my friends house. They waited in the frig until we were done with dinner. Stuck them in the oven and the poofed up like mini souffles. They looked so pretty puffed over the edge of their white ramekins that I didn't have the heart to flip them out. The great thing about this dessert is that they can be premade and just sit in the freezer for up to a month. Pop just one in the oven at the end of dinner and you can enjoy your own individual homemade beautifully warm chocolate cake in 15 min. I know...danger.

Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes

The Best Make-Ahead Recipe: Cooks Illustrated Cookbook

Ramekin Prep:
1 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 T. cocoa powder
Cakes:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 t. vanilla extract
¼ t. vanilla extract
¼ t. salt
½ c. sugar
2 T. all-purpose flour

For the Ramekins:
Butter the ramekins and coat with cocoa.set aside.
For the cake:
Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler or microwave until smooth. Set aside.
Using electric mixer, Whip eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and sugar together at the highest speed until the volume nearly triples, the color is very lights and the mixture drops from the whisk in a smooth thick stream 5-10 min depending on mixer.
Scrape egg mixture over the melted chocolate, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Gently fold the egg and flour into the chocolate until the mixture is uniformly colored. Ladle or pour the batter into the prepared ramekins.
To Store:
Cover each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap and then foil and refrigerate for up to 8 hours or freeze for up to 1 month.
To Serve:
Preheat to 400 degrees. Unwrap the cakes frozen or refrigerated and place on rimmed baking sheet (do not thaw). Bake until cake has puffed about ½ in above the rim of the ramekins, have a thi crust on top and jiggle slightly at the center when they are shaken gently, 12-15 min if taken from freezer, 11-14 min if taken from the refrigerator. 10-13 if baking immediately from mixer.
*Freezer is the sure way of ensuring a gooey oozing center.

I also made this butternut squash and spinach salad with slivered almonds that I saw on epicurious. I roasted cubes of butternut squash at 450 with diced red onion, bacon, sliced garlic, all tossed with olive oil and a little salt. The vinaigrette recipe was olive oil and lemon juice but I added more lemon juice, added dijon, s&p and a splash of maple syrup. I'd definitely make this again. A perfect fall salad. I only have a couple more days of fall cooking before winter arrives ;)

The Perfect Fall Muffins

2009-10-17T23:21:00.009-05:00

I haven't found any yummy apple muffin recipes until I went to visit that smitten blog site that you guys love so much. You must try it. I used sour cream instead of buttermilk or yogurt. I used demerera sugar instead of brown sugar for extra crunch on the tops. You also must try Nigella's Fresh Gingerbread with Lemon Icing recipe.

The freshly grated ginger definitely makes it extra special. It's so moist and sticky. Your guests will LOVE it!

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons of demerera sugar for crunchy top or brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.
Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling demerera sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 18 muffins

Nigella's Fresh Gingerbread with Lemon Icing
For the gingerbread:
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
2 large eggs, beaten to mix
1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
roasting pan, approximately 12 x 8 x 2 inches, greased and lined with foil or parchment paper
For the icing:
1 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon warm water

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a saucepan, melt the butter along with the sugar, syrup, molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. Off the heat, add the milk, eggs, and baking soda in its water.
Measure the flour out into a bowl and pour in the liquid ingredients, beating until very well mixed (it will be a very liquid batter). Pour it into the pan and bake for ¾ - 1 hour until risen and firm. Be careful not to overcook it, as it is nicer a little stickier, and anyway it will carry on cooking as it cools.
And when it is cool, get on with the icing. Whisk the lemon juice into the confectioners’ sugar first, then gradually add the water. You want a good, thick icing, so go cautiously and be prepared not to add all the water. Spread over the cooled gingerbread with a palette knife, and leave to set before cutting.

Sweet Tooth: Elaine's buttercream on double chocolate cake, banana bread, favor cookies, truffle balls

2009-09-29T12:50:00.018-05:00

As I've admitted, my 2009 diet strategy is to bake up a storm and fatten everyone else around me :) This month I've continued with significant success on that path, enabled by the excuse of Elisha's 2nd birthday, and assisted by some fabulous recipes collected from this group as well as some of my favorite food bloggers. I will list them in order of "favoritest" but all of these recipes came out fabulously and are now going into the regular Bell rotation. So come visit and I'll fatten you up too :)

Oreo Truffle Balls

(discovered at http://www.thecookieblog.com/oreo-truffle-balls/ who found them at http://bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com/2009/08/oreo-truffle-balls.html)

These look incredibly fancy and get HUGE raves from everyone who tries them, while you can't help but laugh because they are so incredibly easy! They freeze perfectly and defrost in an hour (I made them for E's birthday, froze the extras and pulled some out last night for Yom Kippur) so make a big batch and keep them in a ziploc in your freezer for last minute entertaining!

1 package Oreo cookies (I used TJ's Joe-Os to assuage my fake food issues :)
8 ounces cream cheese

2 cups/16 oz chocolate for dipping: dark, milk or white (I've used Guittard dark semisweet and TJ's semisweet both with great results)

16-32 oz of topping to roll in: ground oreos, almonds, banana chips, or heath bar chips (I used TJ's english toffee bars which are like Skor bars with great results, and much cheaper than buying candy bars. Can you tell I love Trader Joes?)

Place the cookies in a food processor and process until fine or mash them by hand.
Add softened cream cheese and process until combined.
Roll into small balls the size of walnuts (I made mine too big-- I'd shoot for 3/4 of an inch because once you dip and roll they get much bigger)
Freeze for at least 30 minutes but you can freeze longer (I froze for a couple days before I was ready to dip, and there was no problem)
Melt chocolate either in a double boiler or the microwave. (I did it in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring at the end of each cycle, until the chocolate is fully melted.)
Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate , roll in topping if you like (you also don't have to roll them in anything and can drizzle with a different color chocolate for decorative value) and place on a cookie sheet. Put in fridge or leave on the counter until the chocolate hardens.
When hardened, you can serve right away or throw them in a freezer bag and they store beautifully and defrost in about an hour. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cake with Dulce De Leche Buttercream Filling and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (cake adapted from Epicurious.com, filling and frosting adapted from Elaine)

I love this double chocolate cake recipe. I've made it just as is for the ultimate chocolate death cake for my nephew the chocoholic. I used just the cake portion for Elisha's birthday cake, as she has made it very clear she is the budding chocoholic herself. I wanted to lighten it up a bit for the party with a non-chocolate filling and I also wanted a frosting I could dye yellow so I used Elaine's special someone buttercream recipe as the base for both. With a candy thermometer and a kitchenaid, the buttercream was actually not challenging at all to execute. I split the buttercream into the filling and the frosting. I made a simple dulce de leche by boiling sweetened condensed milk and then added that to the buttercream with some cocoa for the filling. And added vanilla and dyed the buttercream for the frosting. The whole thing came out much to my relief -it looked great, and from what I'm told, was absolutely delicious. I did sneak a small taste and it really was moist and rich and flavorful. And as you can see-- huge! (I used 2x the cake recipe and 3x the frosting recipe to make my gigantic E. I made the cake in 3 sheet pans and then layered and carved once fully assembled.)

Double Chocolate Cake Recipe (adapted from Epicurious)

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Dulce De Leche

can of sweetened condensed milk, unopened

Bring can to boil in full pot of water, let simmer for 3-4 hours (depending on how "dark" you like your caramel). Check pot every hour or so to make sure water hasn't evaporated to uncover the can, and I rotate it a smidge. That's it! Fabulous and simple to make. If you leave the can opened, it is a great pantry staple for an emergency "fancy" dessert on a crepe, ice cream, or with an apple or pear for dipping.

Elaine's buttercream recipe in previous post

Per Kaoru's advice, I also consulted SmittenKitchen's technique tips and pictures of the stages as she has a swiss buttercream recipe with all the same ingredients, just different proportions (Elaine's has more butter).

For the portion I set aside for the filling, I mixed in the Dulce de Leche to taste, and added a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder to taste to add some complexity and cut the sweetness a touch.

For the frosting, I used gel colorings in yellow and pink. I frosted the cake with a crumb coat, let it set, then refrosted all with an offset spatula. For the edging and the circles I used a piping bag. The only tricky part was getting the piping bag into the carve outs of the E!

Banana Bread (adapted from smittenkitchen.com)

I wanted to have kid friendly munchies out for folks when they arrived, before lunch was served. Since the party started at 10:30 to accommodate toddler nap times (~1) I decided on a banana bread. I've made lots of different banana breads but always found when I tried to modify them without the stuff (Chris doesn't like "stuff" in his banana bread) they needed the nuts or chocolate to get the right consistency. For this occasion, given the toddlers, I wanted a recipe that started out without nuts or chocolate. I was thrilled to find this one, and from smittenkitchen, whose recipes I've always found excellent. I followed it to a tee, except omitted the Bourbon, added some almond extract as I'm addicted to that stuff, tripled the recipe and made them in 3 loaf pans set on a cookie sheet, with great results. It had a great consistency, moist, good banana-ness and the nice spices gave it lovely flavor so you didn't miss "stuff" like nuts or chocolate.

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar (depending on the level of sweetness you prefer)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional--I subbed out 1/2 teaspoon almond extract)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (I was generous in my grating as I love nutmeg)
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cup of flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Favor cookies

I used Elaine's Poilane butter cookie recipe and the royal icing recipe from my meringue powder. I bought the little bags and ribbon at Michael's and these cheap touches somehow classed up the cookies so much-- I'm now a big believer in those little bags. I made these weeks in advance and froze them, and then bagged them the night before. The decorating was time consuming, even more than I had thought, as I did it in stages, but they came out just like I had hoped for in my crazy head and were a favor I was really proud of giving out. And they were delicious too boot!

My Favorite Buttercream

2009-09-18T15:41:00.002-05:00

This Buttercream is only made for the special people in my life. It is more work than the go to Magnolia Bakery recipe, but much more refined. Its dangerously light and delicious but if you love it, its worth making 2 batches and keeping one batch in the freezer (lasts up to 2 months), defrost it and re-whip before using.

1 1/2 cups egg whites

3 cups of granulated sugar

3 lbs of unsalted butter

Flavorings: 2 TBSP of extract: orange, almond, lemon, lime, vanilla, orange water, etc OR up to 1.5 oz of alcohol or liqueur: rum, kirsch, framboise, contreau, etc.

Lightly whisk egg whites and sugar together over simmering water until egg white mixture is hot to touch or candy thermometer reads 145F(no grains when you rub your giner in the mix)

Pour hot whites into a room-temp bowl and whip with wire whip until double in volume on med-hi speed and meringue has slightly cooled to touch. Meanwhile cut-up butter into 2" pieces (butter should be slightly moist on outside but cold inside) (Higher speed does NOT allow higher volume-use lower speed)

Remove whip and attache paddle. Add half of the butter into the bowl immediately and pulsate mixture several times until the meringue has covered the butter completely. Add the rest of the butter and pulsate mixer several times. Slowly raise speed of mixer starting with the lowest speed-raise speed every 1- sec. until you reach a med-hi speed.

If meringue starts to curdle, just continue beating until meringue turns into buttercream. Stop mixer occasionally and stir buttercream with a rubber spatula (making sure that you have incorporated all of the butter). Lower speed and add flavor. Beat for 1 more minute to fully incorporate flavor. Buttercream should be light and fluffy.

* In hot weather, use 2 lbs 10 oz butter and 6 oz of crisco (veg shortening)

The Amaretto Mocha Buttercream is delicious too. But Julie, not sure the shots of espresso will be appropriate for this cake ;)

Recipe:

1 recipe of Swiss Meringue Buttercream without flavoring

4 TBSP of Instant Espresso coffee granules

3 oz of Amaretto

Mix espresso granules and amaretto until coffee is dissolved. Slowly pour coffee mixture into Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Beat on med-hi for 2 min.

*You can substite amaretto with almond extract.

Elisha's First Post: Rasberry Buttermilk Cake

2009-08-26T13:36:00.004-05:00

Another smittenkitchen.com inspired recipe. (her pictures are so much better than mine: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/05/raspberry-buttermilk-cake/)

I was looking for something that would lend itself well to toddler cooking, as I dream of playing in the kitchen with Elisha, and figured best to get her started enjoying it as soon as possible. This cake looked perfect, as it is quick to make, all basic ingredients, and easy to assemble. Plus I liked that Elisha would have fun with the fruit, and it wasn't overly sugary. This cake delivered on both the "great with kids" front, and also tasted really good. I've also made it again since this session, this time with jarred morello cherries from TJs, and it was very tasty with those too. This is great for a brunch or lunch dessert or any casual meal, especially if you have buttermilk around, as you can just throw it together with stuff typically in your kitchen.

A few things I did that worked well for keeping Elisha engaged and having fun throughout:

Mise en place-- I premeasured everything and had LOTS of little bowls with each ingredient. That way I let Elisha have the fun of dumping stuff into bowls, which is always great toddler fun, and it made things go super fast, so she didn't get bored
Let them run the machines-- I gave her the great honor of turning the kitchenaid on and off. Action reaction, what's not to love if you are 2?
Finger play--her favorite part was placing the rasberries in the batter, as she got to squish them in place, and she loved the tactile fun. She also loved "sprinkling" the sugar on the top-- the more touching/interactivity, the better!
Be relaxed/have fun--I didn't have enormous expectations so I was totally fine if a splash here or there got missed, or the batter may have gotten overworked, or the sugar sprinkled on top wasn't exactly even, as the most important thing was we had a great time. (and it turned out great anyway!)

Placing the rasberries (and note her comment at the end of the recipe about what happens if they are turned up or down! neat trick! it works.)

Sprinkling the sugar on top

Eating the spoils! Yum.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Adapted from Gourmet, June 2009 (from smittenkitchen.com)

You can just ignore the word “raspberry” up there and swap it up with any which berry you please, like blackberries or blueberries or bits of strawberries or all of the above. This is a good, basic go-to buttermilk cake (not unlike a lemon yogurt cake before it) — moist and ever-so-light — a great jumping off point for whatever you can dream up.

By the way, I was having a “moment” when I made this and for once, remembered to weigh my ingredients as I measured them, for all of you people out there that know weighing is way easier than dirtying a zillion cups and spoons. Now let’s just hope my scale is accurate.

Makes one thin 9-inch cake, which might serve eight people, if you can pry it from first two people’s grasp

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup (146 grams) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)

1 large (57 grams) egg

1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz)
(jb note: I added 1/2 teaspoon almond extract just because I love it)

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter (see Note) raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

[Baking time updated, shortened, after so many of you concurred that this cake bakes crazy quickly.]

Note: Directions like “scatter” always scare me. Where’s the science? Here’s what my neuroses taught us: the ones that were downward were almost all swallowed by the batter. The "o" ones stayed empty, like cups. Both were delicious.

Corn, corn, corn!

2009-08-25T18:06:00.004-05:00

Julie's cornbread recipe in my wonderful recipe book (that you all put together for me ... thank you again!) got me started on a cornbread kick that I've been playing around with for several weeks now. For the first attempt I used the Cook's Illustrated recipe as provided. While good I thought it was a little too dry and the flavor not as pronounced as it could be. On the next round I used another friend's recipe that called for more butter and canned creamed corn as well as white sugar instead of brown sugar and 4 eggs instead of 2 and no baking soda. Better in terms of flavor, but it rose too much (overflowed actually), and still not perfect . On the next round I used fresh corn (parboiled for 3 min in salted water and shucked) which I then soaked in fresh cream for about 10 minutes before adding to the mix and omitted the buttermilk from the first recipe in lieu of the cream. I cut the eggs back down to 2 and hand mixed instead of using a KitchenAid. And I salted a little more than the recipe called for. Even better, but still too crumbly, still not as moist as it could be, and still too much rising. On this last round (which I made using fresh corn from Chino Family Farms), I added back some baking soda, I used one stick of butter to cream with the sugar and then melted the second stick and mixed it in right at the end (like the Cook's Illustrated recipe does) and using inspiration from Hesser's Almond Torte which is a huge favorite in our house, I added a dollop or two of sour cream. Voila. It rose perfectly, browned beautifully, tasted wonderful, and held together which is so important for spreading honey butter! Plus, the next day leftovers straight out of the fridge were absolutely delicious.

Mix 1 and 1/2 cups of flour (I'm now using half Wondra and half all-purpose), 1 cup corn meal, 2 tsps baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1 and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.

Take 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups fresh or canned corn and add about a cup of fresh cream. Let sit.

Cream 1 stick of butter and 3/4 to 1 cup sugar. Add 2 eggs and mix. Add cream and corn. Add a dollop or two of sour cream. Add dry ingredients and mix to just combine. Take another stick of melted butter (if you use microwave, do it when you begin so its not too hot when you add to the batter), and swirl into your batter.

Melt some butter in a cast iron pan and add batter. Then transfer to a preheated 400 degree oven. I like the melted butter in the cast iron as I think it makes for a really nice all around crust. But you can also make in a glass pyrex and not worry about heating it up -- just add batter and bring to oven. I probably cook it for about a half hour ... but not positive. I take it out when its set and golden brown.

Serve with fresh whipped honey or maple butter.

Far cry from Elaine!

2009-08-25T11:38:00.004-05:00

Elaine and her mastery of cookie decorating is like those HGTV shows that make you feel like of course it must be really easy to refinish a deck in 30 minutes by yourself. She makes it look and sound so easy, and her product is so beautiful, that you think OF COURSE I can do that too. Right.

After seeing her ridiculously pretty holiday cookies, and then the outrageous Jer wedding cookie (SO easy she swears), I got the bug. So first things first I had to go out and arm myself with all the toys. Well, first lots of blog reading to see others designs to get some inspiration. Then to the shopping: cutters, piping bottles, gel colors, non-pareils, meringue powder--it was tough to stop.

Then I needed an occasion. Since our own little Kaoru is bringing forth a life soon, could there be any better need than the shower, surrounded by ladies sipping tea? I decided on a sugar cookie recipe from one of the blogs, for some reason. I should have stuck with Elaine's butter cookie recipe. Problem 1. Problem 2-- I unknowingly used whole wheat all purpose flour instead of my regular (unbleached) all purpose flour. Hmm. Problem 3-- I forgot one tiny detail. I have NO artistic talent. There is a reason I'm in finance.

I had visions of delicate baby boys (denoted by their blue onesies) with lovely rosy cheek faces, on a crisp delicious cookie. My version came out more like stick men on a wheat cracker but they were still sorta cute, in a kindergarten effort sort of way.

And those little plastic bags and a ribbon go a long way towards somehow making them look more presentable. They are like the glamour shots lenses, they sort of blur everything in just the right places :)

Oh well. I had fun with the process, and the ladies were all polite enough to ooh and ahh. I did really enjoy the creative time and just playing with colors and painting and such-- made up for all those art classes my parents eschewed. ("not practical, what's the point, how's that going to get you a job?" said to elementary schooler. All the immigrants out there know exactly what I'm talking about!)

With the extra dough I decided to take a few practice runs at what I could do for Elisha's birthday in September. From one blog I got this monogram idea but it is a little much for a 2 year old.

So taking inspiration from Elisha's favorite things (the color yellow and "her" letter) I came up with this.

Still some sloppy execution, but I like the design so I think I'm going to attempt to make 60 of these for her birthday party next month. I'm switching to Elaine's Poilane butter cookie recipe, and in fact, already made the cookies--they came out delicious. Light, crisp, buttery. Elisha gave them two thumbs up. They are sitting happily in the freezer waiting for their decorating session. Wish me luck!

Peach picking and Peach Pie

2009-08-20T15:42:00.010-05:00

A couple weekends ago, one of Chris' co-workers came to the office bearing stories of delicious pick-your-own peaches for 75 cents a pound. Being a stone fruit loving family, who hate the $4/lb pricing at whole foods and even at some farmers markets, we couldn't pass up this opportunity to explore. We packed up Elisha, and headed out for an adventure. We drove 45 minutes, and even though Elisha kept asking if every store we passed was the farm we had promised her, we finally arrived at an honest to goodness farm. Well it was more of a peach and plum orchard, no animals to be seen, but we convinced her it was a farm. We had a grand time. They supplied wagons for the peaches (or your toddler)

We picked to our hearts' and wallets' desire-- 28 pounds later we were all set. We bought gorgeous peaches, plum, and some heirloom tomatoes in several colors that were extraordinarily beautiful and juicy.

The tomatoes were so gorgeous I just served them sliced with some chopped basil and good olive oil and grey salt. With those kinds of ingredients, I just try to get out of the way.

We ate plenty of fruit right out of the fruit bowl, but we bought so much, I needed to think of some creative uses for the fruit. I made a peach tart with an almond crust that got a mixed review, as it was pretty but wasn't enough peaches to the crust. But this peach pie got strong reviews all around. I made the crust and attempted my first lattice top and it came out pretty well.

It rises a bit, and gets crispy bits, almost like a puff pastry.

I got the recipe and inspiration from Bake at 350, http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/search/label/pie

The inside filling was delicious but a little runny, as the recipe called for just a few tablespoons of flour as a binder. I think next time I might use some tapioca pearls or a bit of cornstarch. But I loved the seasoning of the filling, with a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon, and a hint of lemon, it was just right.

Pie Crust
(modified from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion)

2 & 1/2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. cold shortening (Crisco)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/2 c. ice water

Reserve a few tablespoons of flour, set aside. Whisk together remaining flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until it is crumbly.

Place the reserved flour on work surface and coat butter in it. Use a rolling pin or your hand to flatten the butter until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Break the flour-coated butter into 1 inch pieces and mix into the dough until it is evenly distributed.

Sprinkle water over the dough while tossing with a fork just until it is easily squeezed into a ball. Flatten into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll each disk into a 12 x 9" rectangle (approx). Fold into thirds, like a letter, then fold again in thirds to form a square. Wrap both pieces again and refrigerate 30 more minutes.

After 30 minutes, let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes, then roll out to the size needed.

Peach Pie
(modified from bakeat350.blogspot.com who modified a Williams-Sonoma recipe)

pie pastry for a double crust pie
6 cups peeled, pitted and sliced peaches
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 pinches cinnamon
2 TBSP unsalted butter
beaten egg
sparkling sugar (i used demerera sugar)

Preheat oven to 425. Roll out dough for bottom crust and line a 9" pie pan. (Optional: brush bottom crust with lightly beaten egg white...it works to prevent a soggy crust!) Roll out dough and cut into strips for a lattice top and set aside.

Place peaches in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to coat. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to the peaches and stir gently to combine.

Pile the fruit into the dough-lined pan. Dot with bits of butter.

Use the strips to make a lattice top. Brush beaten egg on top of lattice and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes, the reduce heat to 350 and bake about 25 minutes longer, until bubbly and top is browned. You may need to cover the edges during baking...though I didn't.

Porcini rubbed steaks

2009-08-20T12:09:00.003-05:00

I've been cooking/baking a fair amount lately so have a bit of a backlog of posts-- brace yourselves. The first is a perfect summer recipe I bootlegged off of Mario Batali. It is a porcini rub that you rub on rib-eyes (though I've also done it on New Yorks with great results) The steaks bask in the goodness for 12-24 hours, then you grill them up, and honestly, turn out AMAZING. I've done this probably 4 times this summer already and folks' eyes always roll backwards in their heads :)

In this picture it was leftovers the next day, so I sliced it and served it with a mixed greens salad and a succotash of summer squash and zucchini. When I serve it for company they just get a big imposing steak on their plate and they can dig into it themselves!

By the way, I got these steaks from Costco, where they occasionally have prime NY and rib-eyes for $10.99 and $9.99/lb respectively. This is a ridiculously good value, and the steaks are delicious, so if you see any, snap them up. They only have them occasionally and they go fast!

Batali's Rib Eye Rub

3/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground in a spice grinder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 good sized rib eye steaks (3 inches thick)
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling (optional)

Directions
1.In a bowl, mix the porcini powder, sugar, salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic and olive oil. Rub the paste all over the steak. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight. Scrape off the excess paste; let the steak stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
2.Light a grill, or heat a grill pan and preheat the oven to 450°. Grill the steak over high heat until crusty and brown, a couple minutes per side, then move to indirect heat for 20-30 mins or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 125° for medium-rare. (cooking times vary by thickness of steak-- best judge for me is by feel of the steak, but a thermometer is a great check to make sure you have it just the way you want it!) Alternatively, brown the steak in a cast iron grill pan over moderately high heat, about 8 minutes per side, then roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes.
3. Either way, let the steak rest for 15 minutes after cooking

Paella for our neighbors

2009-08-03T23:01:00.009-05:00

Is there anything better than one pot meals that feed a family or two ... or ten! Our lovely upstairs neighbors from Buenos Aires were in town and we finished off a fabulous week of fun meals and fun times with one of Fernando and Paula's favorite meals - seafood and chicken paella. So easy and always so fun and delicious. I am loving our new range as the long central burner allows me to do the whole dish on the range as opposed to finishing in an oven which I had to do in the past. Plus, only with a long gas burner can you get a really good socarrat which is frankly my favorite part of the whole dish. When I made this for them a few years back on one of their annuals trip to Los Angeles, Fernando said the paella tasted like his grandmother's. That comment was enough for me to want to make it for him every time they come to town!

This last photo is to share one of our new favorite toys ... an umbrella light. It falls into the "Why didn't I think of that!" category!

Paella (basic recipe; change as you wish)

Use a paella pan. Sur la Table carries good ones and they’re inexpensive.

Saute a diced onion or two in some olive oil.
Add some diced bell peppers (2-3 depending on size)
Add some chopped tomatoes (canned is fine) – tomatoes are optional, if you don’t want to add or don’t have, don’t fret
Add some garlic if you want, if you don’t, no worries.

Add a decent sized pinch of good Spanish saffron. TJ’s saffron is cheap but doesn’t have much flavor. I’d splurge on good stuff.

Add 2 cups paella rice to pan (not Arborio) and toast/sauté for maybe a minute or two (this feeds 4-6; adjust as necessary).

Add 4 cups chicken broth, when heated, reduce to low and simmer. Once you put broth in, don’t mix/touch the rice. Taste for salt/pepper.

Add some browned chicken to the pan and tuck into the rice. I usually cut up one whole chicken and brown it in some olive oil earlier in the day. I also usually take the wings and back to make my stock for the paella … but obviously only do if you’ve got the time and the inclination.

Add some sliced Spanish chorizo to the pan (Spanish, not Mexican … Spanish is not as spicy while Mexican chorizo can be pretty spicy … unless of course you want your dish spicy). Also, I use the imported, packaged version (usually vacuum packed). If you buy fresh, obviously, cook it before slicing and adding to pan.

With about 10 minutes left in your rice, add some jumbo shrimp (the bigger the more dramatic and delicious). I also like adding small manilla clams. If you want to use mussels, great, I usually just stick with chicken, shrimp and clams.

When your rice is done, turn the heat up on the gas to cook/almost burn the bottom of the pan. This part is the socarrat and it is delicious as the rice gets toasted and then a little burned. Some love it, others don’t. You’ll smell when it’s ready as you’ll smell a little burning … I don’t know, maybe 5 minutes.

Turn heat off and cover pan with some parchment paper or a moist towel. Let sit/stand for 10 minutes or more. I normally gather the table when it’s done and serve/eat the first course so that the paella sits/rests while we’re eating salad.

Serve with lemon slices.

Pizza Time

2009-07-31T08:07:00.012-05:00

Thanks for all the wonderful pizza suggestions Julie and Elaine! Everything was a huge hit and we had so much fun making the pizzas with the kids. We made four (2 on the pizza stone on the grill and 2 on the crisper in the oven). The caramelized onions, crumbled bacon, ricotta and sage was a tremendous hit! As was the one with heirloom tomatoes (which I roasted and sundried for a few hours before putting on the pizza), burrata and mozerella and basil. For our vegetable pizza I found inspiration on Julie's favorite cooking site (Smitten Kitchen) where she had a beautiful photo of a pizza with sliced squash that looked like the ratatouille from said movie. I used squash, bell peppers, artichokes, and ricotta cheese cut with lemon, and sprinkled the top with some truffle oil. For pizza dough and pizza sauce, I picked it up fresh from a wonderful local Italian restaurant right in Old Town. I love how the dough had been made that morning and had just perfectly risen before we made our pizzas. I also made an arugula salad with green beans, potatoes, lemon juice, parmesean cheese and walnuts. Thanks for the inspiration guys -- I think we'll be making many pizzas in our future! I love how easy, fun and delicious it is.

A Thinner Slice of Junior's Cheesecake

2009-07-28T13:30:00.004-05:00

Sam had a blast throwing everything in the mixer and witnessing all these ingredients turn into a creamy yummy lick-off-the-paddle treat after he had fun controlling the kitchen aid speed. I just used a store-bought graham cracker crust to avoid the "baking the crust" and "cooling crust" steps. But this was a delicious recipe that I'd definitely use again. I halved the original Junior's recipe. So here is the halved version with the filling that makes a 1 in thick cheesecake in a pie dish vs a 2 1/2 in. thick cheesecake in a springform pan. I served it with fresh berries.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Filling

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese (the regular variety not light Neufchatel cream cheese), at room temperature

1/2 cup + 5 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 extra-large eggs

6 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions for the Cream Cheese Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 5 Tablespoons of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 mintues, then beat in the other package of cream cheese.

3. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining1/2 cup of the sugar, then beat in the vanilla and heavy cream. Blend in egg until completely blended.

4. Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the graham cracker crust. Place the pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1/2 way up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.

5. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it's completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Jam Bars

2009-06-30T14:28:00.006-05:00

This is a great recipe handed down to me from Mrs. Buerger's cabin. Minimal ingredients for a great vacation home staple or for tea time with friends. I made it for a friend's BBQ party. Found out after creaming my butter and sugar that I didn't have any eggs in my frig. Had to run next door for 2 eggs from my neighbor. Whipped up the dessert, threw it in the oven, put it on the "cooking timer" so it would shut off after 50 min. Walked over to the BBQ. Ran back to grab the dessert out of the oven. Brought it back to my friends party. Talk about a last minute homemade dessert ;) It is a bit sweet. So if you made your own jam it would be my perfect recipe but that makes this wonderfully simple recipe too high maintenance for its purposes. Enjoy!

18 T. unsalted butter, room temp.

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 c. flour

1 jar fruit jam or pie filling (I used peach jam)

Preheat 325, using 9x13 pan

1. Cream butter and sugar

2. Mix in eggs and flour

3. Spread dough mix onto pan. Save 1/3 for top of fruit.

4. Spread over dough. Top with remaining dough

5. Bake for 45-50 min. Cool. Powder top with powdered sugar.

Made some cookies for a baby shower with a "Year of the Ox" theme. Thought I'd share them with you.

Kicking off the Summer

2009-06-15T13:56:00.005-05:00

My peonies have bloomed and wanted to share them with you. They fill my rooms with such sweet perfume. I'm a bit obsessed at the moment.

We had some friends over for dinner for some grilling. One of our friends brought over their infamous rack of lamb that had been marinated in a miso marinade that were grilled. Our other friends brought over Tiger shrimp brined and marinated with a pepper rub ready to be grilled. And I made the sweet chili wings that Julie made for us in Laguna Beach. I moved my oven rack to the top 1/3 of the oven. Made sure not to overcrowd the roasting pan. Put in the fridge until we were ready to grill. I reheated the wings on the grill. And they were delish! Used chives in my garden instead of green onions. If I had only taken some pictures because we ate very well that evening. To end the meal we made some cream puffs together. I premade the pastry cream which came out a little runnier than I wanted but still super tasty. I should cook it further than I did, I think.

Here's the recipe for them. I usually make them the size of baseballs but this time we made them bite size (like pingpong balls) which actually worked out very well.

Pastry Cream

From Chez Panisse Desserts

Makes 2 1/2 cups

2 c. milk

1/3 c. flour

6 T. sugar

6 egg yolks

1-2 T. unsalted butter

Vanilla bean or 1-2 t. vanilla extract

Scald the milk (heat it just under boiling. when you start seeing steam come up from the surface)Add vanilla bean here. Mix the flour and sugar in a separate saucepan. Beat egg yolks until thick and light colored in a mixer. Whisk hot milk into the mixed flour and sugar saucepan. and cooke over medium heat until it has boiled for a minute.

Whisk a little of the mixture into the egg yolks to warm them. Stir them back into the flour mixture. Mix well and cook over medium heat until it begins to hold its shape (first time you make pastry cream use a thermometer and make sure it gets to 170 degrees. then you will know what it should look like finished). Remove from heat and stir in butter. Add vanilla extract here. Put in storage container. Cover with plastic wrap. Cool in refrigerator until you are ready to fill tart, cake or eclair. If its too stiff out of the frig, just whip it up a little in a mixer. I've also folded in whipped cream to make it even lighter and thinner. I always make the pastry cream the day before to manage my prepping time.

Cream Puffs

From Chez Panisse Desserts

Makes about 26 small puffs

1 c. water

6 T. unsalted butter

1/8 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar

1 c. flour

5 large eggs

Heat water, butter, salt, and sugar in saucepan. When boils, remove from heat, add the flour all at once and quickly stir until smooth. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring, until dough makes a ball in pan. Heat a minute or 2 to cook the flour thoroughly. Remove from heat and pour into mixing bowl or kitchen aid. Add one egg at a time while beating until mixed in. Add rest of eggs one by one.

Use parchment paper and put dough in pastry bag and pipe mounds 2 inches apart. You can also just spoon heaps onto baking sheet. Preheat to 400. Put in the oven and immediately turn heat down to 375. Bake for 15 min or until they are golden brown and puffed up. Prick each one with tip of a sharp knife on the side. Put them back in oven for 5 min to dry out the inside. Cool.If you are not using within the hour, crisp them in 375 for a few min before filling.

Chocolate Fondant

From All American Cookies

1/2 water

2 T. light corn syrup

2 c. powdered sugar

1/3 t. vanilla extract

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped (melts faster)

Bring water and corn syrup to boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Pour over unsweetened chocolate and mix until all chocolate has melted. Drizzle over filled cream puffs or pipe on top for the perfect eclair. If it cools it gets stiff so add a couple drops of hot water, stir and use warm. This can also be warmed on the stove. I'm sure 8-10 seconds in the microwave also works with thorough stirring after being nuked ;)

Inaugural Post: Weekend Munchies

2009-06-10T14:34:00.002-05:00

Ladies, thanks for welcoming me after all this time! Here are the recipes for the food from Jer's fabulous weekend. These are some of my favorite "feed a large group" recipes: fun, interactive, appeal to most folks, yummy, and can largely be made ahead.

**Sweet Chili-Glazed Chicken Wings**
take on recipe from Bon Appétit | July 1997

Yield: Makes ~6 App servings (I used 4 lbs for the weekend version)
Note: I make the glaze and marinade the chicken the night before, so all I have to do is pop them in the over before guests arrive.

Chicken & Marinade:
2 pounds chicken wings
1/4 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Glaze:
1 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Cut each chicken wing in half at joint. Mix oil, cilantro, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons garlic, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper in large bowl. Add chicken wings and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Using tongs, transfer chicken wings to large baking sheet. (if available I like to bake them on cooling racks set in baking sheets so they crisp better) Bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 20 minutes each side, 40 minutes total. (bon appétit suggests 20 mins but I think 40 is necessary for nice golden result)

Meanwhile, combine vinegar, sugar, water, chili-garlic sauce, remaining 1/2 tablespoon garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper in medium saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until glaze mixture thickens to syrup consistency, about 20 minutes. (they say 20 but I find it takes up to 40 minutes+ sometimes, especially if doubling the recipe...)

Transfer baked chicken wings to large bowl. Pour glaze over; toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions. Great served warm or room temperature-- making this perfect for app buffets.

Note: Alton Brown has a neat trick which was to steam the wings first for 10 minutes to render their fat, and make them extra crispy. I haven't tried this but seems like it could be a nice bonus technique to try

*Crepes**
alton brown's recipe

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

Directions
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours. (making it a perfect make ahead and cook on the spot dish! They are best fresh, but still really tasty up to 2-3 days later so great to make a pile for when you have weekend guests coming!)

Heat a non-stick pan (size will dictate size of crepe-- I use a medium pan typically. Add butter to coat. Pour ~1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. (technique tip: pull the pan off the heat and tip it upwards, then pour from one side and swirl. The few seconds off the heat gives you a bit more time to get it spread out correctly.) Cook for 30-60 seconds and flip (I use my fingers, and wait until the edges start to brown/curl just a bit). Cook for another 15-30 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

*Savory Variation Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.

*Sweet Variation Add 21/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.

Recipes: Weekend in the O.C.

2009-06-03T00:44:00.002-05:00

Hi Ladies! Here are some recipes I promised all of you. It was such a pleasure to see all of Jer's ladies with an appetite as big as my own ;)

Vietnamese Sandwiches (Banh Mi)

For the pork:

3 lb. boneless pork butt

1 t. black peppercorns

2 serrano chiles, crushed

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. salt

For the pickled carrots:

1/2 c rice wine vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. peeled and shredded carrots

To assemble:

2 french baguettes

6 T Mayo

10 oz. pork pate

1 English cucumber, sliced into thin wide strips

1/2 c. cilantro

4 jalapenos

4 t. soy sauce

Brine the pork in a ziploc bag filled with water and pork ingredients above. Refrigerate overnight. Rinse pork butt and pat dry. Place fat side up in roasting pan. Heat oven to 400F roast in middle rack for 1 hr and 45 min or until internal temp reads 165. Let cool for at least 45 min. Slice thinly.

For picked carrots:

Combine vinegar, sugar and salt. Coat julienned carrots and set aside overnight.

To assemble:

Slice baguettes lengthwise. Crisp in oven. Remove enough of bottom interiors of baguette so filling can fit easily. Spread mayo on top and pate on bottom. Top with sliced pork, cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots and jalapenos for heat. Sprinkle with soy sauce.

Bill Granger's Vietnamese Chicken Salad

3 pieces 200g boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.3 lbs)

2T. veggie oil

salt

white pepper

1 c. bean sprouts

1 c. mint leaves

1. c basil

4 cups chinese cabbage, finely shredded

1 c. carrot peeled and finely julienned

Vietnamese Dressing:

60 ml lime juice

60 ml fish sauce

2T rice vinegar

1T sugar

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 red onion or shallots, finely sliced

2 small red chilies, seeds removed, finely chopped

Heat frying pan with oil. Sear for 2 min and turn to sear other side for 1 min.

Bake chicken for 8-10 min. Leave to rest for 20 min. Shred chicken into thin strips with your hands and place in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Place all dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Toss on salad when ready to serve.

Sweet Corn cakes with Avocado Salsa

18 oz canned corn, drained (or fresh from 3 corn cobs)

1 small red onion, chopped

2 eggs

3 T cilantro, chopped

4 oz flour

1 t. baking powder

salt and pepper

veggie oil for frying

For Avocado Salsa:

2 avocados, diced

15 g. cilantro

2 T lemon or lime juice

2T scallions, finely chopped

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

1 dash Tabasco sauce, optional

salt and pepper

Preheat to 250

Barefoot Contessa's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/2c. sugar

3 xl eggs, room temp

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/4 c. sour cream

2 1/2 c. cake flour

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

For Streusel:

1/4 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

3 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

For glaze:

1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

2 T maple syrup

Preheat 350. Grease 10 in. tube pan or what ever other pan you have. Cream butter and sugar for 4 min. Add eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla and sour cream. In another bowl, mix flour, b.p, b.s, and salt. Fold in flour mixture until just combined. For streusel, place brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in walnuts.

Spoon half the batter in the pan. Sprinkle 3/4 c streusel. Spoon rest of batter into the pan, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake 50-60 min. Cook for 30 min. Whisk confectioners sugar and maple syrup together. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon. I didn't make the icing that weekend.

Polenta Pound Cake - refer to Jan 28 2009 posting

Makes 1 loaf cake, serving 8-10

1/2 lb unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

3 eggs, at room temp.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)

* I omitted optional ingredients

Preheat to 350 degrees.

Brush loaf pan with butter and dust with flour or just line with parchment (which is what I do).

Cream butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Then add extracts and sour cream. Stir in cornmeal followed by flour, baking powder and salt.

Spoon batter into pan. Scatter pine nuts on top (if using pine nuts). Bake about an hour or until the top is firm to the touch. cook completely. Cut 3/4 to 1 in. slices. Toast in your toaster oven until brown at edges. Dust with powdered sugar (optional). I just served it plain.

Chocolate Toffee Cookies - from February 6 2008 posting
Makes about 18
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar 
4 large eggs 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath or Skor), coarsely chopped 
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped   

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls with an ice cream scoop onto sheets, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Vietnamese Summer Rolls (aka Goi Cuon)

2009-06-02T22:39:00.010-05:00

Inspired by the yummy Vietnamese lunch from this past weekend (see photo in posting below), I prepared goi cuon for dinner.

Rice paper & bun:

All the ingredients (thai basil, cucumbers, lettuce, pickled carrots, shrimp, beef, bun, rice paper):

Each person assembles the goi cuon him/herself at the table:

Despite typically eaten with hoisin/siracha sauce, I opted to dip my goi cuon in to nuoc cham instead, which I find more refreshing.

Nuoc cham recipe:

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 minced serano chili pepper

Weekend in the O.C.

2009-06-02T15:45:00.009-05:00

Thanks, Elaine and Julie, for cooking up a storm for us this past weekend!!! It was all so incredibly delicious!

Lunch on Saturday:

Dinner on Saturday:

Breakfast on Sunday:

Kaoru: Steamed Pork Buns

2009-02-17T14:59:00.012-06:00

I made Jer's (posting from May 2006) char siu bao yesterday afternoon. Made a ton, so decided to freeze most of them. Now, I have homemade char siu bao on demand!

Pre-steaming: Petite and cute before steaming. I ran out of parchment paper, so used tin foil instead.

In the steamer: Squished together after they expanded.

Post-steaming: Large fluffy char siu bao. The bread is my favorite party - so sweet and scrumptious.

Kaoru: Madeleines

2009-02-10T15:47:00.010-06:00

When my neighbor Annie invited me over for lunch today, I decided I'd bring over somes madeleines for dessert. And with it snowing outside, it was just the thing to do this morning. They turned out pretty well, although I prefer a slightly more dense, poundcake-like consistency. Perhaps I will give them another go, or try another recipe.

Below is the small plate of cookies I gave Annie.

Kaoru: Crispy Oatmeal Raisin

2009-02-09T19:18:00.006-06:00

I'd been craving oatmeal raisin cookies ever since Elaine mentioned them a few days ago. Great, straightforward recipe that yielded exactly 18 cookies. If you're a fan of the chewy version of this cookie, this one's not for you. But if you're looking for a perfectly crispy version, they don't get any better. Thanks for posting E.

Crispy Oatmeal Raisin

2009-01-28T14:20:00.004-06:00

I know I posted a lacey version of the Oatmeal Raisin a while back. When I made Nigella Lawson's Oatmeal M&M recipe (which is the perfect balance of oatmeal and chocolate and kids love the color), I realized this was the perfect oatmeal consistency I crave. If you want a super crisp and crunchy version with just enough oats, try this recipe. You can substitute raisins for dried currants, cranberries, blueberries, etc. I've been making this recipe every week for the past 3 weeks. Thats how much I love it.

Makes about 18 cookies

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup old fashion oats

9 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 c. raisins (or currants, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, etc)

Preheat 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients

Cream Butter and sugars

Add egg to creamed butter/sugar mixture, then vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add raisins.

Spoon batter with ice cream scoop.

Flatten to 1/2 in thick disks.

Bake 15-20 min.

Polenta Pound Cake

2009-01-28T14:05:00.002-06:00

After having the most perfect dessert at this great little Italian restaurant called Union in Evanston, I thought I'd try and recreate it. It was a toasted slice of Polenta Pound Cake served with roasted peaches and whipped cream. So I found this recipe and it was a hit for brunch last weekend with my whole family.

Makes 1 loaf cake, serving 8-10

1/2 lb unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

3 eggs, at room temp.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)

* I omitted optional ingredients

Preheat to 350 degrees.

Brush loaf pan with butter and dust with flour or just line with parchment (which is what I do).

Cream butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Then add extracts and sour cream. Stir in cornmeal followed by flour, baking powder and salt.

Madeleines

2009-01-14T17:03:00.002-06:00

I love eating madeleines, but have never made them. Hope they aren't too difficult, as they will be nice little treats to bag up for friends on Valentine's Day.

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbs) butter, melted and cooled, plus additional for brushing molds
1 1/4 cups sifted flour (sift before measuring)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Optional: Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Pre-heat oven to 350*. Brush molds with melted butter.

Sift together flower, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high until light and foamy, about 30 seconds with a stand mixer. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating at high speed, then continue to beat until mixture is tripled in volume, about 3 minutes with stand mixer.

Sift flour mixture over eggs in 3-5 batches, folding in each batch until just combined. Fold in zest and remaining 12 Tbs melted butter.

Spoon a rounded tablespoon of batter into each mold, filling it about 2/3 full. Bake (with 2 pans), switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden around edges and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 10-12 minutes total.

Invert madeleines onto a rack and dust scalloped sides with confectioner's sugar.

Note: Batter is best baked as soon as it is made, but if you don't have multiple pans, you can bake in batches.

Cookie Decorating Party

2008-12-16T19:06:00.025-06:00

Happy Holidays! We hosted close to fifteen friends for our 1st Annual Cookie Decorating Party this past weekend.

Cookies - I made 3 batches of Elaine's gingerbread cookie recipe with 5 different cookie cutter shapes - gingerbread man, Christmas tree, stocking, candy cane and star. My arms were about to fall off after all that dough-rolling. Particularly in light of the last minute guest cancellations, it was WAY too many. I froze a bunch (both iced & un-iced) and have been giving them away as gifts as well.

Frosting - I used meringue powder in lieu of egg whites. Frosting colors were red, yellow, green, blue and white. Paint brushes from Sur La Table worked well for "painting" the cookies. I also purchased one container of pre-made icing as I didn't want to deal with icing pipers.

Toppings - Mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, red/white and green/white chips, M&Ms, tons of sprinkles

Our "Finished Cookie Drying Station" -

Finished cookies -

Decorating workstation (aftermath... there were sprinkles everywhere) -

Elaine: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

2008-12-08T21:31:00.003-06:00

Additions to the recipe: Romaine lettuce to lighten up the salad, roasted chicken breast that I had made the night before, and some grape tomatoes.

I really wish my butternut squash wasn't overcooked because the consistency of my mushy squash didn't go with the rest of the salad. I don't think I've ever eaten black eyed peas until today. I really enjoyed them. I didn't buy them frozen. I actually bought the 365 Whole Foods brand from the can. I am glad I tried something new. I've really been into hearty soups and salads this month.

Mike and I went to a cooking class a couple weeks ago for one of his work events and made this easy delicious Tortilla Soup that I totally recommend. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

Serves 6

1 whole chicken breast, roasted, cooled and cut into a dice

4 cups chicken stock

1 large onion

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons oil

14 oz can chopped tomates

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 jalapeno seeded and minced ( I left in half the seeds)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

4 corn tortillas, sliced

tortilla chips to garnish

Cut tortillas into 1 inch pieces. Heat oil over med heat. Add tortilla pieces and cook until crips and golden, stirring occasionally, about 15 min. Add chilies, onion, garlic and saute about 2 min. Add stock, tomatoes with canned liquid, and cumin. Simmer for 10 min. Puree in the pot with a hand blender. Add diced chicken. Stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with avocado, black beans, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, chips.

I'm going to double the recipe for this weekend because I'm planning to serve it to friends for our main course.

Jer: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

2008-11-30T16:34:00.005-06:00

Finally got around to making this salad over the weekend. Gosh it was nice to be cooking again! I used edamame instead of black eyed peas which I thought held up well (I also liked the green and orange contrast). Also, when I had this at Julie's earlier this month, I thought it could use something a little crunchy so I added some toasted slivered almonds. I didn't add the bell peppers.

I do like the way the goat cheese melts into the salad and gives it a creaminess and a slight tanginess. Although I must admit, while I liked the squash in a salad, I didn't love it. I had ordered a butternut squash salad at a restaurant recently which also fell a little flat on my palate. I think for me, squash is really one of those indgredients that is ho-hum roasted on its own but incredibly delicious when mashed and mixed in with other indgredients. I decided to make a batch of butternut squash soup while making the salad and I thought the soup was amazing. Only things I added were apples and leeks -- and of course some stock and some nutmeg. Its as if the few other indgredients do so much to really elevate the butternut squash into something incredible.

Homemade soup and a half grilled cheese sandwhich is always a huge hit in our house. Pete gets really excited when a new batch of soup is made on the weekends because he knows he's getting this for dinner several days this week!

Any favorite soup recipes you guys want to share? This soup as well as potato leek, lentil, corn chowder, tomato basil, and split pea are in our regular rotation. Would love to try something new if you have a particular family favorite. Thanks!

Kaoru: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

2008-11-23T18:46:00.007-06:00

Hello ladies! Thanks for inviting me to join your group. Looking forward to blogging with you.

I was eager to try a new dish especially since I find myself preparing butternut squash in the same way all the time. I always just roast with a bit of melted butter, brown sugar & S/P.

So on Saturday morning, I gave it a go. I followed the directions, making a few minor tweaks: I used rice/balsamic vinegars instead, roasted the squash for 20 minutes at 375*, and skipped the parsley. And since I’d never made frozen black eye peas before, I followed the directions on the package. Big mistake – my first batch turned to mush!

After the squash was roasted, the peppers cut and the dressing made, I combined it all.

What turned out was quite a lovely salad that my husband and I have been munching on all weekend. The acidity from the dressing brightens up the flavor, the peppers add nice texture/kick, and the goat cheese adds a wonderful creaminess. As well, I love that there's protein in the salad from the black eyed peas. I think next time I’ll skip the marjoram and use just parsley instead. Ashley, thanks for posting!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

2008-10-22T14:41:00.003-05:00

I'm finally finding time to cook more and miss chatting food with you guys. My latest fave is this salad. It's from Fresh Market Cookbook by Sara Foster. It's great to munch on for lunch. I like it a little warm or at least room temp.

INGREDIENTS(For the dressing)
1/3 cup apple cidar vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

(For the salad)
1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups black-eyed peas (I used frozen black-eyed peas)
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, plus a little more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus a little more for garnish
1/2 cup of the dressing
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) crumbled goat cheese

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
To make the dressing, stir the vinegar, honey, lemon zest and juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Add the oils in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until all is incorporated. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week. Makes about 1 cup.
Next, scatter the diced butternut squash in one layer on a baking sheet with sides lined in foil. Drizzle the squash with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the squash is starting to brown around the edges and is tender when pierced with a fork, stirring the squash pieces every 10 minutes so the cubes brown evenly. When the squash is finished cooking, remove from the oven and let cool a little. Scrape the warm squash into a large mixing bowl.

Add the black-eyed peas, bell pepper, jalapeno, marjoram, parsley, 1/2 cup of the dressing, and season with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with the crumbled goat cheese, scatter with a little more of the parsely and marjoram, and serve warm or room temperature.

This bottle of Prosecco...

2008-08-27T15:44:00.007-05:00

...is driving me to drink. My friends, Ginger and Alex brought over a bottle of this Riondo Prosecco that is just delicious. Its definitely on my list to buy a case of these and you all know I don't really drink. I used to only order Rieslings. However, Reislings are just too sweet for me these days. And this Prosecco is crisp with some champagne-y bubbly to it.

Strata for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

2008-08-27T14:53:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine, Laura, whipped up a breakfast strata with sausage and cheese to feed a handful of women she invited over. It made me go hunting for these strata recipes I used to make all the time for guests from a Cooks Illustrated issue. Its just so easy to entertain with kids when you can prep everything the night before and just pop it in the oven when everyone gets there. My personal favorite is the Spinach and Gruyere but Laura's sausage strata makes me want the other recipes. Hope these make it into your entertaining fallback recipes. All these recipes serve 6. I usually double them over the holidays and the recipes take about 20 min longer to cook. There are great pictures on this blog which features these recipes as well.

Strata with Spinach and Gruyere

8-10 slices of bread (Italian, French, I use leftover hot dog buns in the freezer that I finish off and toast them in the oven at 200F for 30 min)

5 T. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. shallots, minced (about 4 bulbs)

10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry

salt and pepper

1/2 c. dry white wine or dry vermouth

6 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 c.)

6 large eggs

1 3/4 c. half-and-half (I just use whole milk because thats what I have in my frig)

Butter the toasted slices of bread on 1 side with 2 T. of butter. Set aside.

Saute shallots in 2 T butter until translucent, about 3 min. Add spinach, salt and pepper until combined. Transfer to bowl. Add wine to skillet and simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/4 c. about 2 min. Set aside.

Butter 8 in. square baking dish with remaining 1 T. butter. Arrange half of buttered bread slices, butter-side up, in a single layer. Sprinkle half of spinach mixture, then 1/2 c. grated cheese. Arrange remaining bread slices in a single layer over the cheese then sprinkle remaining spinach mixture and another 1/2 c. cheese evenly over the bread.

Whisk eggs. Mix in reduced wine, half and half, 1 t. salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture over the bread layers. Cover the surface flush with plastic wrap. Weigh down with boxes, cans or heavy cartons so bread can properly soak in all the egg mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove dish from frig and let sit at room temp. for about 20 min. Heat oven to 325. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 c. of cheese over the top. Bake until edges and ceter are puffed and edges have pulled away from sides of dish, about 55-60 min. Cook on a rack for 5-10 min then cut into squares and serve.

Strata with Sausage, Mushrooms and Monterey Jack

8-10 slices of bread(day old or toasted like recipe above)

3 T. unsalted butter, softened

8 oz bulk breakfast sausage crumbled

3 shallots, minced( about 1/3 c.)

8 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

salt and pepper

1/2 c. dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 c)

6 large eggs

1 3/4 c. half and half

2 T. fresh parsley, minced

Butter slices of toasted bread with 2T. butter. Set aside.

Fry sausage in skillet until it browns, about 4 min. add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 1 min. longer. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until mushrooms no longer release liquid, about 6 min. Transfer mixture to bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add wine to skillet and simmer until reduced to 1/4 c. Set aside.

Butter 8 in. square dish with remaining 1 T butter. Arrange half of buttered bread slices, buttered side up, in single layer. Sprinlke half of sausage mixture then 1/2 c. cheese over bread. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese. sprinkle remaining sausage mixture and another 1/2 c. cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs and parsley in bowl until combined. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down and refrigerate overnight.

Remove dish and let stand at room temp. for 20 min. Preheat 325F. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c. cheese over surface. Bake until edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 55-60 min. Cool for 5-10 min before cutting into squares and serving.

Strata with Potatoes, Rosemary and Fontina

8-10 slices of day old or toasted bread

5 T. unsalted butter, softened

salt and pepper

12 oz new potatoes (about 2 medium) cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 shallots, minced (about 1/3 c.)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 t. fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 c. dry white wine

6 oz fontina cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 c)

6 large eggs

1 3/4 c. half and half

2 T fresh parsley, minced

Butter toasted bread on 1 side with 2 T. butter. set aside.

Bring 1 qt of water to boil, add 1 t. salt and boil potatoes until tender, about 4 min. Drain potatoes.

Heat 2 T butter and cook potatoes until brown, about 10 min. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 2 min. Add garlic and rosemary and cook about 2 more min. transfer to bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Simmer wine until reduced to 1/4 c. Set aside.

Butter 8 in. square baking dish with remaining 1 T. butter. Arrange half of buttered bread, buttered side up, in a single layer. Sprinkle half of potato mixture, then 1/2 c. grated cheese over the gread. Arrange remaining bread slices in a single layer over the cheese then sprinkle remaining potato mixture and another 1/2 c. cheese over the bread.

Whisk eggs then add wine, half and half, parsley, 1 t. salt and pepper to taste. Poor egg mixture over bread layers. cover surface flush with plastic wrap. and weigh down with boxes or cartons. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove from frig and let sit at room temp for 20 min. Preheat oven to 325. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c. cheese over the top. Bake about 55-60 min until edges and ceter are puffed and edges have pulled slightly away from sides. Cook on rack for 5-10 min. Cut into squares and serve.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2008-08-17T14:45:00.002-05:00

I've finally found a great Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe. Thought I'd share it with all of you. Super skeptical of Billy Joel's wife's new cookbook, I borrowed it from the library to find this dip recipe. Its really good. And I'm going to try it with crabmeat next time around.

8 oz cream cheese

9 oz artichoke hearts, drained from can or frozen

10 oz frozen spinach, squeeze out all liquid

1/2 c. mayonaise

1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated

2 garlic cloves

6 basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat 375. Grease a 2 qt baking dish. Combine cream cheese, artichoke hearts, spinach, mayo, parmesan, garlic, basil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 25-30 min. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or toasted bread. Serves 4-6.

White Easter

2008-04-10T20:23:00.006-05:00

I haven't had my laptop for a couple weeks but now its back. So I thought I'd share my Easter cookies. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of the Snow Bunnies we made in our front yard with the heaps of snow that poured down on us just in time for Easter.

I'm auctioning off a cookie decorating class for Sam's preschool. I suckered my friend, Shimako from Bittersweet, who taught me everything I know about cookie decorating, to make a guest appearance. We'll see if people sign up. I'm making instructional hand-outs on how to decorate cookies. I'll definitely share those with you once they are finalized. I'm hoping to cover the following in the class:

Cookie baking tips
Consistency of royal icing for different uses
Dipping vs flooding
Making a cornet
Different ways to decorate with royal icing (pastry bag, cornet, squeeze bottle, edible markers)
Using stamps on dipped cookies
Creating another dimension with nonpareils, crystal sugars, decorative sprinkles
Royal icing decorations piped onto cellaphane or parchment
Classic decorative designs (swiss dots, cornelli lace, snail trail, etc)

Anything else you guys would want to get out of a cookie decorating class? Questions or techniques you'd want answered?

Jer: Afghan Kadu

2008-03-05T18:03:00.005-06:00

Rachel and I made this kadu together on Sunday night for our other two sisters. We picked up our ingredients at a great new Indian market a block away from Jen's house. The Chinese eggplant looked beautiful as did their pumpkin so we decided to make the kadu with both vegetables.

I liked the kadu but found it too sweet so next time I might consider only adding half the called for amount of sugar. Like Elaine, my rice didn't come out dry like Indian or Afghan rice should, instead it was more wet like Asian rice. It actually tasted like really good risotto. In any event, the flavors were strong and delicious and I really enjoyed the yogurt sauce. Jen's husband had seconds and we all agreed it was a fun and interesting dish to enjoy together.

Biscotti di Prato

2008-02-22T12:54:00.003-06:00

I am addicted to these biscotti di prato Elaine and Cath. Thank you for sharing this recipe. So easy to make. I had never made biscotti before as I always assumed it was much more work (not sure why I thought it was a meringue type of base). I loved the ease of it all and how the batch makes enough to last for weeks! I've been enjoying a few almost every day with my morning coffee or my afternoon tea. Thanks again for sharing!